Kevin O’Leary defends Timothee Chalamet’s Oscar hopes despite controversy

Kevin O’Leary rallied behind Timothee Chalamet following a controversial comment about his involvement with opera and ballet productions at this year’s Academy Awards. During the red carpet interviews, Chalamet expressed his reservations about traditional forms of art that might struggle to maintain relevance in today’s entertainment landscape. The Oscar-nominated actor suggested that he was interested in working on projects where viewership remained stable rather than in areas like opera or ballet, which were deemed less commercially viable.

However, O’Leary quickly defended Chalamet’s stance at an interview with Variety. “He’s a really great guy,” the Shark Tank host began. “His mother’s really nice too. By the way, I just put $1,000 on Kalshi walking in here.” He further added, dismissing any notion that his investment might affect Chalamet’s Oscar chances, asserting confidently, “He’s going to win because I know the voting stopped long before that controversy happened.”

O’Leary then turned to a more lighthearted jab at the situation. “By the way, he gave a lot of promo to opera houses and ballet companies,” he joked. The Oscar nominee is currently in contention for two categories: Best Picture (for “Marty Supreme”) and Best Actor.

Timothee’s provocative comments during a conversation with Matthew McConaughey at the beginning of February brought this controversy to light. In that interview, Chalamet stated, “I don’t want to be working in ballet or opera or things where it’s like, ‘Hey, keep this thing alive even though no one cares about this anymore.’ All respect to all the ballet and opera people out there,” he explained. He also revealed a personal financial consequence from his comments: “I just lost $1.40 of viewership.”

O’Leary’s defense of Chalamet is not only providing comfort to his fellow actor but also highlights how such industry personalities can influence public opinion and potentially sway the Oscars, even in the wake of controversial remarks.