Andrea Bocelli has responded to Timothée Chalamet’s controversial remarks about opera and ballet.
During a Variety and CNN discussion with Matthew McConaughey last month, the Marty Supreme actor appeared to dismiss the art forms while talking about preserving the cinema experience.
Since then, Chalamet has come under fire online and faced criticism from prominent members of the performing arts community, and on Wednesday, Bocelli told People that he was “surprised” that a “fellow artist” would take such a view.
“I believe we often tend to keep our distance from what we have not yet truly encountered. Opera and ballet are art forms that have crossed centuries and continue to speak to the human heart, because they answer a deep need for beauty, truth, and emotion,” the Italian tenor told the outlet. “They are not arts of the past, but living languages that can still move us, make us reflect, and bring different generations together.”
The Prayer singer went on to invite Chalamet to attend one of his concerts.
“I am convinced that a sensitive performer like Timothée, who understands the power of emotions, may one day discover that opera and dance draw from that very same source,” the 67-year-old continued. “Should he ever be curious, I would be happy to welcome him as a guest at one of my concerts. Sometimes it only takes a few minutes of hearing this music live to understand why, after centuries, it continues to be loved all over the world.”
Chalamet has not yet publicly responded to the backlash or Bocelli’s offer.
In the original interview, the Dune star argued people weren’t invested in performing arts.
“I admire people (saying), ‘Hey, we gotta keep movie theatres alive. We gotta keep this genre alive,'” the 30-year-old said at the time. “I don’t want to be working in ballet or opera or things where it’s like, ‘Hey, keep this thing alive, even though no one cares about this anymore.'”
Chalamet quickly added: “All respect to the ballet and opera people out there… Damn, I just took shots for no reason.”
The A Complete Unknown actor is next set to walk the red carpet at the 2026 Academy Awards on Sunday night, where he is nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his performance as Marty Mauser in Marty Supreme.
