Timothée Chalamet

Who Is Timothée Chalamet?

Timothée Hal Chalamet is an award-winning American and French actor. He was born on December 27, 1995, in New York City. He is 30 years old in 2026.

He is one of the most celebrated actors of his generation. He is also one of the most daring.

He broke through with his sensitive portrayals of complex characters in independent films, especially Call Me by Your Name (2017), and his artful humor in ensemble comedies. He later established himself as a leading man in blockbusters, notably Denis Villeneuve’s Dune trilogy.

By 2026, Timothée Chalamet has earned three Academy Award nominations for Best Actor. Moreover, when he received his first nomination in 2018, at age 22, he became the youngest performer in 80 years to receive an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor.

He is not just a great actor. He is a cultural force.

Early Life: Two Cultures, One Artist

Born in Hell’s Kitchen, New York

Timothée Hal Chalamet was born on December 27, 1995, and grew up in the federally subsidized artists’ building, Manhattan Plaza, in Hell’s Kitchen. This vibrant New York neighbourhood shaped his creative instincts from the very start.

He holds dual United States and French citizenship. Because of his French father, he is fully bilingual in English and French. He is also conversational in Italian — a skill he picked up while filming Call Me by Your Name in Italy.

A Family Built on Art and Storytelling

Timothée Hal Chalamet was born in Manhattan, to Nicole Flender, a real estate broker and dancer, and Marc Chalamet, a UNICEF editor. His mother, who is from New York, is Jewish and of Russian Jewish and Polish Jewish descent. His father, who is from Nîmes, France, is of French and English ancestry. He is the brother of actress Pauline Chalamet, a nephew of director Rodman Flender, and a grandson of screenwriter Harold Flender.

His father, Marc, was on a business trip to New York while he was working as a journalist for Le Parisien, the French newspaper, when he met his mother. He now works at the United Nations. His mother Nicole was a dancer when she met his father, and she now works in real estate.

Art and storytelling were always in his blood.

Summers in France: A Dual Identity

Young Chalamet spent his childhood summers with his paternal grandparents in their home in the small French village of Le Chambon-sur-Lignon. This village sits two hours from Lyon.

He stated that his time in France led to cross-cultural identity issues. However, it also gave him something rare: the ability to inhabit two worlds with equal ease. He once told La Presse, “Once I was there, I became the French version of myself. I was completely imbued with the culture, and I even dreamed in French.”

The Spark: Heath Ledger and The Dark Knight

Heath Ledger’s performance in The Dark Knight (2008) inspired him to establish a career in acting. That single performance planted a seed of obsession in young Timothée that never left him.

Before acting, his childhood dream was to become a professional soccer player. He even coached at a soccer camp in France. However, the magic of storytelling proved stronger.

Education: LaGuardia High School and Beyond

He applied to Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts. His acceptance into the school was a turning point in his appreciation for acting.

LaGuardia is famously the school that inspired the film and TV series Fame. There, his classmate and friend was actor Ansel Elgort — and both later received their first Golden Globe nominations in the same year, 2017.

After graduating from LaGuardia, Chalamet enrolled at Columbia University. Chalamet majored in cultural anthropology before dropping out to concentrate on his acting career. He has since switched over to NYU’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study, which affords him the flexibility to balance both his education and acting career.

Career Journey: From Television Debut to Trillion-Stream Fame

The First Steps: Commercials and TV (2009–2013)

Timothée began his career in commercials and the New York theatre scene as a teenager. Like many New York-based actors, Chalamet’s first on-screen appearance came in an episode of Law & Order. The episode aired in 2009 and Chalamet played the part of a murder victim.

He then built his early reputation through television. Chalamet has had recurring roles in the television series Homeland and Royal Pains. These roles gave him consistency and craft. They proved he could hold his own on screen even as a teenager.

Film Debut: Men, Women & Children and Interstellar (2014)

In 2014, Timothée made his feature film debut. He made his feature film debut in the drama Men, Women & Children and subsequently appeared in Christopher Nolan’s science-fiction film Interstellar.

In Interstellar, he played the teenage son of Matthew McConaughey’s character. It was a small role. However, it placed him alongside one of cinema’s greatest directors — and the world took notice.

The Breakthrough: Call Me by Your Name (2017)

Then came the role that changed everything.

In 2017, Chalamet gained wider recognition for his portrayal of Elio Perlman in Luca Guadagnino’s romantic drama Call Me by Your Name, after which he appeared in the coming-of-age films Hot Summer Nights and Lady Bird as well as the western Hostiles.

His role as Elio received significant critical acclaim, and he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor, the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor (Drama), and won many critics’ group awards for Best Actor of the Year.

For this role, he performed scenes in Italian, English, and French — a true linguistic triple threat.

Beautiful Boy, Lady Bird, and Little Women (2018–2019)

He then portrayed a drug-addicted teenager in the drama Beautiful Boy (2018), for which he was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role.

Furthermore, he delivered celebrated supporting performances in Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird (2017) and Little Women (2019). He later said of Gerwig, “I would work with Greta on anything. I’m just totally in awe of her.”

These roles showed his range. He was not just a romantic lead. He was a character actor with exceptional depth.

Dune and Dune: Part Two (2021–2024): A Blockbuster Era

Timothée Chalamet played Paul Atreides in Denis Villeneuve’s Dune trilogy, based on the science-fiction books by Frank Herbert. The first two films — Dune: Part One (2021) and Dune: Part Two (2024) — have been released, and the last installment, Dune: Part Three, is expected in December 2026.

These films transformed him from an indie darling into a true global box office star. Additionally, his performance in Don’t Look Up (2021) showcased his comedic instincts alongside an all-star cast.

Wonka (2023): Singing, Dancing, and Chocolate

In 2023, Chalamet delivered one of his most joyful performances yet. He starred as the young Willy Wonka in Wonka, bringing physical comedy, musical charm, and emotional warmth to the iconic character. The film was a massive commercial success worldwide.

A Complete Unknown (2024): Five Years to Play Bob Dylan

Also in 2024, Timothée produced and starred as Bob Dylan in the biographical drama A Complete Unknown. He prepared for this role for five years. He sang 40 Dylan songs and played guitar and harmonica for the film’s soundtrack. Critics praised his “brilliant” and “completely believable” portrayal of Dylan. He received nominations for the Academy, BAFTA, and Golden Globe awards for Best Actor. He also became the youngest person to win the SAG Award for Best Actor at age 29. He received a Grammy Award nomination for his work on the film’s soundtrack.

At the SAG Awards, Chalamet told his guild peers, “I was not expecting this at all, truly. I know the classiest thing would be to downplay the effort that went into this role and how much this means to me, but the truth is this was five and a half years of my life. I poured everything I had into playing this incomparable artist. Mr. Bob Dylan. A true American hero. It was the honor of a lifetime playing him.”

Marty Supreme (2025): A Third Oscar Nomination

Most recently, he portrayed a fictional version of table tennis champion Marty Reisman in 2025’s Marty Supreme.

He garnered critics’ praise, Golden Globe wins, and a third Oscar nomination. Furthermore, he received the prestigious Spotlight Actor Award at the Palm Springs International Film Festival for his performance.

He also received a nomination for Marty Supreme for Best Picture in his capacity as a producer on the film. Therefore, Chalamet is not just acting at the highest level. He is also producing — building a creative empire from the ground up.

Dune: Part Three (2026): The Next Chapter

Kylie Jenner took a trip to Budapest in August 2025 to visit Timothée while he was filming Dune: Part Three. The final chapter of the epic trilogy is expected in December 2026. Audiences worldwide are eagerly awaiting Paul Atreides’s final chapter.

Complete Filmography at a Glance

Year	Film / TV Show	Role	Notable Achievement
2009	Law & Order	Murder victim	On-screen debut
2012–2014	Homeland	Finn Walden	Recurring TV role
2014	Interstellar	Tom Cooper (young)	Christopher Nolan film
2014	Men, Women & Children	Danny Vance	Feature film debut
2017	Call Me by Your Name	Elio Perlman	Oscar nomination #1
2017	Lady Bird	Kyle Scheible	Greta Gerwig film
2018	Beautiful Boy	Nic Sheff	BAFTA nomination
2018	Hot Summer Nights	Daniel Middleton	Lead role
2019	Little Women	Laurie	Greta Gerwig film
2021	Dune: Part One	Paul Atreides	Global blockbuster
2021	Don’t Look Up	Yule	Ensemble comedy
2021	The French Dispatch	Zeffirelli B	Wes Anderson film
2023	Wonka	Willy Wonka	Global box office hit
2024	Dune: Part Two	Paul Atreides	Oscar-nominated film
2024	A Complete Unknown	Bob Dylan	SAG Award winner; Oscar nom #2
2025	Marty Supreme	Marty Mauser	Oscar nomination #3; Critics Choice win
2026	Dune: Part Three	Paul Atreides	In production

Awards and Nominations: A Legacy in the Making

Timothée Chalamet has earned widespread recognition for his acting, with 72+ wins and over 170 nominations across major film awards. He has received three Academy Award nominations, including Call Me by Your Name, A Complete Unknown, and Marty Supreme. Moreover, he became the youngest male actor with three Best Actor Oscar nominations by age 30.

Major Awards Highlights

Award	Achievement	Film
Academy Award	Nominated — Best Actor	Call Me by Your Name (2018)
Academy Award	Nominated — Best Actor	A Complete Unknown (2025)
Academy Award	Nominated — Best Actor & Best Picture (Producer)	Marty Supreme (2026)
SAG Award	Won — Best Actor	A Complete Unknown (2025)
Critics Choice Award	Won — Best Actor	Marty Supreme (2026)
Golden Globe	Won	Marty Supreme (2026)
Grammy Nomination	Film Soundtrack	A Complete Unknown (2025)
Palm Springs Film Award	Spotlight Actor	Marty Supreme (2026)
BAFTA	Nominated — Best Actor	Multiple films

Personal Life: Love, Fashion, and a Legend in the Making

Relationship With Kylie Jenner

Kylie Jenner and Timothée Chalamet were first romantically linked in April 2023. The couple made their red carpet debut in May 2025.

At the 2026 Critics’ Choice Awards, Chalamet professed his love to his partner of three years. He said, “Thank you to my partner of three years. Thank you for our foundation. I love you. I couldn’t do this without you.”

The couple matched in orange at the Los Angeles premiere of Marty Supreme, wearing coordinated Chrome Hearts outfits. Their looks became iconic moments in fashion history.

Previous Relationships

Before Kylie Jenner, Chalamet was first linked to Lourdes Leon, a high school classmate and Madonna’s daughter, in 2013. He was also previously linked to actress Lily-Rose Depp.

Fashion Icon Status

Timothée Chalamet is one of Hollywood’s most celebrated fashion icons. He has worn custom Givenchy, Chrome Hearts, Tom Ford by Haider Ackermann, Sabyasachi, and Louis Vuitton on major red carpets. His fashion choices are bold. They are deliberate. They are always talked about.

Advice From Leonardo DiCaprio

Leonardo DiCaprio reportedly told Timothée Chalamet, “No hard drugs and no superhero movies.” Chalamet has largely followed this advice, consistently choosing artistically daring projects over franchise roles.

His own ambitions are clear. He told his SAG-AFTRA guild peers, “I know we’re in a subjective business, but the truth is I’m really in pursuit of greatness. I want to be one of the greats. I’m inspired by Daniel Day-Lewis, Marlon Brando and Viola Davis, as I am by Michael Jordan and Michael Phelps.”