World-renowned master director Steven Spielberg (79) spoke out directly about actor Timothée Chalamet's (30) 'belittling of art' remarks.
According to People on the 13th (local time), Spielberg attended the 2026 SXSW (South by Southwest) conference held in Texas, U.S., and while stressing the importance of watching films, he made remarks that seemed to target Timothée Chalamet, causing a stir.
That day Spielberg said, "At the end of a good cinematic experience we all leave the theater feeling united. This kind of experience doesn't only happen at films and concerts," and added, "By the way, it also happens in ballet and opera," earning rounds of applause from the audience.
This was a direct rebuttal to Timothée Chalamet's recent remark at an event that "I don't want to work in fields like ballet or opera that nobody cares about," which sparked controversy. The master directly reminded the junior actor of the "essence of art" after the actor divided artistic boundaries and disparaged certain fields.
Earlier, Timothée Chalamet drew fierce criticism for describing ballet and opera as "fields losing their vitality" during a town hall meeting with Matthew McConaughey. He later tried to patch things up by saying he "respects" them, but the controversy spread as famous ballerinas such as Misty Copeland, vocalists like Andrea Bocelli and even the Metropolitan Opera criticized him.
With Hollywood elder statesmen like Whoopi Goldberg and Jamie Lee Curtis joining in, Chalamet found himself in an awkward position as Spielberg—the ultimate heavyweight—also stepped in.
Meanwhile, Spielberg also shared news of his new project that day. He said he is currently developing a "kicks ass" western, exciting fans.
Also, he will take the helm again for the first time since Pavelmans with the big-budget sci-fi Disclosure Day, scheduled to open on June 12. The new film features a star-studded lineup including Emily Blunt, Josh O'Connor and Colin Firth.
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