Timothée Chalamet is the face of a generation, playing the leading roles that have defined the last decade of cinema.  At only 27, Chalamet has starred in seven major films including Dune, Bones and All, and Call Me by Your Name, each contributing to his growing acclaim.  His services have been in near constant demand; he’ll be starring in Wonka as the titular character later this year and reprising his previous role in the highly anticipated Dune 2 in 2024.  Nearly everyone under the age of forty knows Chalamet, and whether they enjoy his acting style or not, there’s no question he’s the forerunner of a Hollywood dynasty through his staring roles, conspiracy, and trending moments.

This year, Chalamet is receiving wide attention for his upcoming role in Wonka where he will play the role of a young Willy Wonka, bringing a new flare to the Roald Dahl character.  This role has previously been played by renowned actors Gene Wilder and Johnny Depp both of whom brought their own acting styles to the character.  Though Chalamet has much to live up to, his previous roles in film have shown he is more than capable.  The trailer for the movie, released in mid-July,  opens with a young Willy exclaiming, “I’ve spent the past seven years traveling the world, perfecting my craft. You see I’m something of a magician, inventor, and chocolate maker. So quiet up, and listen down. Nope. Scratch that, reverse it.”  The bright exuberance portrayed in this one line has intrigued audiences with a lighter side of Chalamet’s acting.  The movie is expected to be a box office hit.  Its theater release is December 15.

Chalamet, though celebrated for his talent, is no stranger to conspiracy.  The role that brought him to fame was in 2017’s Call Me by Your Name, an Indie film adapted from the book of the same name.  It chronicles the relationship between an Italian teen Elio (played by Chalamet) and his father’s research assistant Oliver (played by Armie Hammer).  The movie was released to great acclaim, winning multiple awards and being nominated for four Oscars.  Five years later, in 2022, Chalamet starred in another Indie film, Bones and All.  This movie chronicles the life of two young cannibals, Maren and Lee (played by Taylor Russell and Chalamet, respectively) on the run from the law.  This movie also received many awards and was well-received by the public.  A little year before the film’s release, Chalamet’s former co-star Armie Hammer was accused of cannibalism during a trial that is still ongoing.  Many internet sleuths and critics theorized that Bones and All was released as a result of this trial, but the director Luca Guadagnino refuted these claims. This conspiracy only added to Chalamet’s fame.

Not only conspiracy and acting prowess but also viral moments have contributed to a rise in Chalamet’s star power.  In 2017’s Lady Bird, Chalamet plays Kyle Scheible, a prep school “visionary.”  In a quote that has been re-posted and made into hundreds of tik-toks,  Kyle says to Lady Bird, “Good girl. The government didn’t have to put tracking devices on us. We bought them and put them on ourselves.”  Chalamet’s words made girls swoon and immediately became viral on all social media.  Chalamet has also starred in two Saturday Night Live (SNL) skits that have received wide attention on the internet.  On a December 2o20 episode of SNL, Chalamet, who was the host for the episode, portrayed a SoundCloud rapper along with former SNL cast member Pete Davidson.  The song “Yeet Yeet Skirt” from this skit skyrocketed to fame as a parody of modern-day rapping.  Along with this, Chalamet also parodied musical artist Troy Sivan in a recent November episode.  His parody of Sivan as a “sleep demon” even got a response from the artist who said on X that “It feels like a-weird dream.” Chalamet has been recognized for these moments and each one has made him popular among both young and old viewers.

Timothée Chalamet is a once-in-a-generation actor and has cemented himself in the zeitgeist.  Is there any argument that he hasn’t made a deep impact? There doesn’t seem to be.  He has made himself known through his depth of work, conspiratorial films, and internet virality, and will continue to rise in pop culture. Timothée Chalamet is the actor for our era.