The chief executive of the Royal Ballet and Opera has thanked Timothée Chalamet for an immediate surge in ticket sales, after the Hollywood star’s comments about ballet and opera sparked widespread backlash.
Alex Beard, who leads the London-based company, said the controversy ultimately worked in their favour, with public support translating into real-world impact at the box office. Speaking to The Times, he described the reaction as overwhelmingly positive and said the organisation’s light-touch response resonated strongly with audiences.
“The public reaction was just fantastic,” Beard said. “I thought it important that we didn’t issue a kind of hoity-toity response to Chalamet.”
Instead, the company opted for a more direct and informal approach on social media, highlighting the strength and diversity of its audience — particularly among younger theatregoers.
“We simply said, ‘Take a look at what we’re doing, mate’ — for instance, the fact that the largest portion of our audience by age is 20 to 30-year-olds.”
The post quickly gained traction online, generating millions of interactions and helping to shift the narrative.
“Our post got two-and-a-half million engagements and half a million shares, just on Instagram. And our ticket sales got an immediate boost. So cheers, Timmy!” Beard added.
@ausballetWe love working in ballet and wouldn’t change it for the world 🫶 🩰 Artists of The Australian Ballet in La Bayadère (Petipa)
The controversy began after remarks made by Chalamet during a public discussion with Matthew McConaughey, where the pair were speaking about the future of cinema and audience behaviour. While reflecting on the idea of preserving certain art forms, Chalamet suggested that some genres naturally thrive without needing active promotion.
“I admire people… who go on a talk show and say, ‘Hey, we’ve got to keep movie theatres alive,’” he said, pointing to the success of major releases as proof that audiences will show up when genuinely interested.
However, it was a follow-up comment — delivered jokingly — that drew criticism.
“I don’t want to be working in ballet, or opera, or things where it’s like, ‘Hey, keep this thing alive, even though like no one cares about this anymore.’ All respect to all the ballet and opera people out there.”
Realising the remark could be controversial, he quickly attempted to downplay it.
“I just lost 14 cents in viewership. I just took shots for no reason.”
@varietymagazine #TimothéeChalamet ♬ original sound - Variety
Despite the attempt at humour, the comment was widely criticised, particularly by performers and figures within the classical arts world, many of whom argued it dismissed centuries-old traditions.
Among those to respond was opera singer Isabel Leonard, who criticised the actor’s comments in strong terms.
“I’m shocked that someone so seemingly successful can be so ineloquent and narrow minded in his views about art while considering himself an artist,” she said.
“To take cheap shots at fellow artists says more in this interview than anything else he could say. Shows a lot about his character.”
Fellow performer Deepa Johnny also pushed back, emphasising the cultural importance of live performance.
“There is nothing more impressive than the magic of live theatre, ballet and opera. We should be trying to uplift these art forms.”
Ballet dancer Victor Caixeta added that both disciplines have endured for centuries, questioning whether modern cinema would stand the test of time in the same way.
The debate quickly expanded beyond the initial comments, with opera houses and companies around the world joining in — many taking a humorous or inviting tone rather than a confrontational one.
The English National Opera publicly invited Chalamet to attend a performance, while the Seattle Opera offered discounted tickets using his name as a promotional code. Meanwhile, the Metropolitan Opera shared behind-the-scenes footage celebrating the craft and scale of its productions.
@theviewabc #WhoopiGoldberg reacts to Oscar nominee Timothée Chalamet saying that "no one cares" about opera or ballet anymore: "Be careful, boy!" #TheView ♬ original sound - The View
For the Royal Ballet and Opera, however, the episode has underscored something more significant: that interest in classical performance remains strong — particularly among younger audiences — and that even criticism can serve to amplify that message when handled carefully.
The unexpected spike in engagement and ticket sales suggests that, far from being in decline, ballet and opera continue to find new audiences — sometimes with a little help from an unlikely source.
