Bradley Whitford, known for his role in The West Wing, has publicly criticized Timothée Chalamet following the actor’s recent statement that ‘no one cares’ about ballet or opera.
The 30-year-old actor faced criticism after old comments resurfaced. He had said he didn’t want to work in fields like ballet or opera, suggesting he didn’t want to support art forms that seemed to be losing popularity.
While at the premiere of his movie, Reminders Of Him, 66-year-old Bradley playfully teased Timothée Chalamet.
The actor became famous for playing Josh Lyman, the Deputy Chief of Staff in the TV show The West Wing, a role he held from 1999 to 2006.
While on the red carpet, Bradley spoke passionately about opera, explaining that he’s always found it deeply moving.
He finished the conversation with a playful comment – ‘I’m not a big fan of ping pong,’ – referencing the character Timothée Chalamet played in the film Marty Supreme, who was a ping pong player.
Bradley shared with People magazine that he admired opera singers, having known many while he was studying acting. He always found their talent incredible.
‘I would be incredibly moved by it, when I had no idea what they were saying.
‘So both of them, I’m not that into ping pong though.’
Timothée made a playful jab about opera and ballet while he and Matthew were talking about celebrities who publicly support movie theaters.
Oh my gosh, he gets it! He totally gets it! He was talking about how important it is to support movie theaters, like he’s been saying for ages! He even did a whole talk show segment about it, stressing we HAVE to keep this kind of movie—this whole world—alive. It’s amazing to hear him speak so passionately, honestly, it just makes me love him even more!
He also pointed out that if people are excited about a movie like Barbie or Oppenheimer, they’ll make sure to see it and will enthusiastically share their enjoyment. He contrasted this with opera and ballet, which don’t have the same broad appeal.
After apologizing for his critical comment about the art form, Matthew clarified his position, saying, “I wasn’t trying to be critical, I understand your point.”
The comment sparked strong criticism from both London’s Royal Ballet and Opera and New York City’s Metropolitan Opera. The Metropolitan Opera responded by sharing a video showing its staff diligently working.
A message was prominently displayed, starting with a polite nod to opera and ballet fans: ‘All respect to the opera (and ballet) people out there.’ However, the caption made it clear who the message was really meant for: actor Timothée Chalamet.
Adding to his challenges, Timothée comes from a family with a strong dance background – his mother, Nicole Flender, and his grandmother, Enid Flender, were both professional dancers.
Enid, who passed away in 2022 at the age of 95, was a Broadway performer. She danced in the musicals Kiss Me, Kate at the Shubert Theatre from 1949 to 1951 and Make Mine Manhattan at the Broadhurst Theatre in 1949.
Nicole, now 68, trained at the School of American Ballet and later shared her passion as a dance teacher from 1990 to 2015.
Other performers have publicly criticized Marty Supreme and expressed their support for opera and ballet.
The group includes actors like Helen Hunt, Eva Mendes, Sarah Hyland, Holland Taylor, Laura Benanti, King Princess, and Alexis Knap. It also features director Sam Taylor-Johnson, models Ashley Graham and Poppy Delevingne, and ballerina Misty Copeland.
On Monday, Whoopi Goldberg, a winner of an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Award, publicly criticized him on the show The View, calling his actions ‘disrespectful.’ She explained that because he comes from a dance background himself, it’s hurtful to dismiss or mock another artist’s work.
It’s unpleasant to witness, and you likely didn’t understand the situation until you realized you were facing a problem.
I was really concerned when Whoopi Goldberg pointed out that Timothée Chalamet’s joke about losing only 14 cents was making things worse. She had a point – she warned him that people would likely get much angrier than that, and he needed to be careful about how he was coming across. It felt like a motherly warning, honestly, telling him to watch himself.
She referred to the actor as ‘like a child’ and explained that his apology felt insincere and unnecessary, suggesting someone so new to the industry shouldn’t have bothered.
She was upset, explaining that apologizing after being insulting doesn’t make things better. Trying to soften an insult with a phrase like ‘no disrespect’ actually makes it worse, because it is disrespectful, she said.
Okay, so Doja Cat – my QUEEN, seriously – just went OFF online! She absolutely roasted Timothée Chalamet, which, honestly, good for her! But the best part? She was raving about opera and ballet, calling them ‘amazing’! I mean, I already knew she had impeccable taste, but this just confirms it. She’s a visionary, I tell you, a VISIONARY!
She mentioned that opera has been around for 400 years and ballet for 500. She was surprised to hear Timothée Chalamet – who she described as a very popular actor – say on camera that people don’t care about these art forms.
If you were to attend an opera performance right now, the theater would likely be full and the audience would be completely silent, showing their deep respect for the art form.
The musician praised the dancers’ commitment, saying they work incredibly hard, pushing themselves to their limits daily, all out of passion and dedication to their craft.
Oscar-winning actress Jamie Lee Curtis, 67, seemingly responded to the controversy by sharing a post from Broadway actor Zach McNally. McNally questioned why Timothée Chalamet had criticized opera and ballet in a recent statement.
With artificial intelligence posing a threat to most art forms, it’s puzzling why artists are focusing on criticizing each other instead of uniting against this common challenge. This seems especially odd considering performing arts like theater, ballet, and opera are less directly impacted.
The actress, known for her role in Halloween, then shared videos from renowned organizations like the National Opera & Ballet in Amsterdam. She also publicly expressed her support for Michael B. Jordan, who is competing with Timothée Chalamet for the Best Actor award at the Oscars this weekend.
According to Gold Derby, 39-year-old Nicholas Galitzine, known for his role in ‘Sinnners,’ is now favored to win the award with a 48.28% probability, surpassing Timothée Chalamet, whose chances have fallen to 36.99%.
Timothée Chalamet, Kylie Jenner’s boyfriend, was widely expected to win an award after receiving both the Critics’ Choice Award and Golden Globe for Best Actor earlier this month, on January 4th and 11th respectively.
With around 11,000 Academy members eligible to vote, most likely submitted their ballots before the official deadline last Thursday at 5pm Pacific Time. Therefore, it’s uncertain whether recent developments will change the outcome.
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2026-03-11 19:49