This is my personal contribution to Creative Romance Month. A few months ago, a couple of friends and I went out for brunch and then decided to walk to a local used bookshop on the way there, I discovered I was the only one, in the group, who had never seen Timothée Chalamet out in person.
One of my friends and her boyfriend spotted him at a concert they were attending. In contrast, our other friend had the unusual good fortune of walking up to Timothée, speaking with him, and receiving a warm hug from the actor. I was stupefied. Never in my wildest dreams could I imagine seeing him out and about, much more having the opportunity to speak to him. He orbits in a far-off world that I couldn’t possibly hope to infiltrate.
Discovering Timothée Chalamet
Knowing people who could confirm that Timothée Chalamet does exist outside of his films and interviews, is simultaneously surreal and fantastic. While he would never know my name or my existence, this is an individual who has deeply touched my life.
I didn’t know of Timothee Chalamet or his work until I began college. Before then, there were murmurings of his name in magazines and other celebrity interviews, and even amongst my peers, still I had no idea who he was. One of the elective courses that I had chosen during my senior year of college was a class in film and ethnicity, and it was in that class that I first saw “Lady Bird” and “Call me by Your Name.”
Around that same period, I, finally, decided to get a Netflix account. The first film I saw on Netflix was Timothée Chalemet’s performance in “The King.” I was immediately blown away by his dynamic abilities and incredible range. His talent for acting drew me in and I wanted to know more about him as well as his personal journey to becoming an actor.
Timothée Chalamet Inspired Me
I discovered his work at a time when I didn’t really know what I wanted from life or a career. In high school; I studied hard and obtained good grades and all that sort of thing, but it never dawned on me that I should seriously plan for the future. Up until that point, everything just seemed to inexplicably fall into place with or without planning.
I had a firm belief at that time that everything would happen naturally if I simply applied myself. I wasn’t ready for the reality of going into a four-year university, adapting to the changes in expectations, and also being confronted with the fact that I didn’t have a lot of time to consider anything. With my general courses nearly out of the way, the time for picking a major was right now. Whether I was prepared to or not. All I knew at that point was that I had to take a chance at something, so I promptly decided on a course of study.
When I needed a dose of inspiration, I would watch Timothée’s interviews. There was something truly magical about him. He was authentic and engaged. He always appeared so sincere and down to earth. And there was a wonderful awkwardness to him that seemed to suggest that he too was beautifully human, in spite of all his otherworldly star qualities. He spoke passionately about his craft and his determination, and it lit me up with both fresh excitement and sobering awe. I felt reassured that if I only threw myself into the process of life if I dared to go after my passions and interests with fervor and commitment, I would land right where I needed to be.
Timothee has inspired me in other more personal areas of my life as well. I remember randomly coming across a short clip of one of his interviews and in it, he seemed to be describing the transient nature of life, love, and loss. He encouraged acceptance of one’s feelings, including the deep sense of loss we feel at the end of a relationship or when a loved one passes away.
“….Accept the pain in your life. The sorrow and that if you’re feeling bad, badly when you’re grieving, whether that’s for the loss of a romance or another human being, you’re doing it perfectly.” – Timothée Chalamet
I found these words at a time when an old wound, an ancient heartache had unexpectedly reopened, causing a torrential downpour of sadness, isolation, confusion, and hurt. I was mortified by how easily that old battle scar had thrown me for a loop. After all these years, I could still be affected.
Listening to Timothée’s sensible advice on love and grief, allowed me to better accept my own emotions and all the ambiguity wrapped up in them. Knowing that I am human. That I have deep longings, that I can love and love beautifully, that was suddenly enough.
Through undergraduate and graduate school, he continues to inspire me. I haven’t had the chance to see any of Timothée’s films in the theater until quite recently, thanks to the release of “Bones and All.” COVID-19 and the lockdown put an end to my hopes of watching “Dune Part One” or “The French Dispatch” on the silver screen.
In conclusion, while I may never get the chance to meet him in person and tell him directly what his work, his sensitivity, and personal wisdom have meant in my life. I can in my own small way, express gratitude to this brilliant young man by supporting his projects and privately thanking my lucky stars for being born in the same time period as the one and only, Timothée Chalamet.
