GROWING UP IN THE CITY OF DREAMS
A Shooting Star Over the past several years, Timothée Chalamet has become one of the great film stars of his generation. A serious actor who’s often known for playing conflicted characters, he astounds audiences and critics alike with his ability to totally embody a role. To
become the character he is portraying.
Perhaps you’ve seen Timothée as the haunted, brooding Paul Atreides in the dazzling, action--packed 2021 movie
Dune. Or as Laurie, the romantic lead in the 2019 adaptation of the classic novel
Little Women. But Timothée Chalamet didn’t achieve success instantly. It was the result of much hard work and years of dedication to his craft.
FAST FACTS In 2020, Timothée posted a random photo of his pantry on Instagram. Fans were obsessed, because his pantry contained foods one wouldn’t expect a movie star to have, like Kraft macaroni and cheese. The photo got over a million likes!
Timothée has a few nicknames, including Timmy, Teemo, and Tim.
A Family of Artists Timothée Hal Chalamet was born on December 27, 1995, in New York City. Timothée’s father, Marc Chalamet, is a journalist and was previously an editor who oversaw French publications for UNICEF. His mother, Nicole Flender, is a real estate broker and a former dancer who has performed in several Broadway musicals, such as
Fiddler on the Roof and
Hello, Dolly!In fact, Nicole is not the only artist in her family. Her brother, Rodman Flender, is a writer, producer, and director. And her father, Harold Flender, was a screenwriter.
Timothée’s older sister, Pauline Chalamet, is an actor and dancer as well. So when Timothée was growing up, he was surrounded by actors, writers, dancers, and filmmakers. He grew up in a show business family. And this most likely had an influence on his chosen profession.
FAST FACTS Pauline Chalamet made her television acting debut on the soap opera
One Life to Live in 1999, a full decade before her brother, Timothée, made his TV debut on
Law & Order.
Rodman Flender has directed episodes of many television shows, including
Gilmore Girls,
The Office, and HBO’s
Tales from the Crypt. Summers in France Timothée’s father, Marc, was born in France, and when Timothée was growing up, Marc wanted him to be familiar with French culture, since that was part of his heritage. During the school year, Timothée lived in the United States. But during the summer, he lived with his father’s relatives in the small town of Le Chambon-sur-Lignon, outside of Lyon, France. Because of that, Timothée is bilingual.
FAST FACTS Timothée has said that he really liked small-town life in France. However, it was a culture shock for him to come back to big-city life in Manhattan when the summer ended.
Timothée has dual citizenship in both the United States and France.
The Joker Timothée grew up on the West Side of Manhattan, in the Clinton neighborhood, which is also known as Hell’s Kitchen. Once a very dangerous neighborhood (hence its nickname), by the time Timothée was born, it was a considerably more friendly environment.
In 2008, when Timothée was twelve years old, he saw a movie that changed his life. That movie was
The Dark Knight, and Timothée found himself riveted by Heath Ledger’s performance as the Joker. Once the movie ended, Timothée knew that he wanted to do what Heath Ledger did: He wanted to be an actor!
FAST FACTSOn that very important day in 2008, Timothée saw
The Dark Knight after attending one of his sister Pauline’s ballet performances.
Timothée had done some acting as a small child— mostly in commercials—but this was the first time he considered acting as a potential career.
Copyright © 2023 by Arie Kaplan; Illustrated by Risa Rodil. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
