Timothée Chalamet just earned his second Best Actor nomination at 29 for his role as the folk singer Bob Dylan in James Mangold’s A Complete Unknown. His previous nomination was in 2017 as Elio Perlman in Luca Guadagnino’s Call Me By Your Name. He was 22 when nominated, and winning the Oscar then would have named him the youngest actor to ever win it. Now, 7 years later, if Timothée manages to secure the win he would still be the youngest to win in the history of the Academy.
Though he has been nominated twice in the lead category before he turned 30, Timothée has been considered snubbed of a nomination for a truly deserving supporting role, Nic Sheff in Beautiful Boy (2018).
Timothee Chalamet & Steve Carrell in Beautiful Boy (2018) dir. Felix Van Groeningen
Portraying the true story of a drug-addicted teenager and how his addiction has harmed his family as well as his own life, Timothée’s performance is masterful hitting intense emotional scenes the entire movie. The film is told through his father’s (Steve Carrell) perspective – but even with having less screentime, Timothée is the star and soul of the film.
He has also portrayed some truly memorable roles in his filmography, showing his range even at his young age. Duke of a spice planet, a teenage cannibal and a beloved Louisa May Alcott book character; shows that Timothée leans towards more dramatic projects. But he isn’t confining himself to that standard, having a small part in the satirical comedy Don’t Look Up (2021) and even leading his own musical as the lead character in Wonka (2023).
Since Call Me By Your Name, he’s been in seven Best Picture nominated films: Call Me By Your Name (2017), Lady Bird (2017), Little Women (2019), Dune (2021), Don’t Look Up (2021), Dune Part Two (2024), and A Complete Unknown (2024). This year marks the third year where he’s starred in two Best Picture nominees.
So is it Timothée year? When A Complete Unknown came out with rave reviews of Timothée encapsulating Bob Dylan, it seemed like a surefire lock that he’ll get his Oscar. But the awards season so far hasn’t agreed with him, with his main competition Adrien Brody winning in his category. Ironically, it’s Adrien’s own record he would break if Timothée wins the Oscar. Adrien won his award for The Pianist (2002), only a few weeks before his 30th birthday. If Timothée does pull off his win, he would only beat the record by a few months.
Written by Salma El Ashmawy (17 years) – 13/2/2025