Timothée Chalamet Doesn’t Care If You Call Him a Try-Hard — Awards Matter When You’re the One Doing the Work
Consider the Oscar race reopened: the actor’s new film has him surging back into contention.
Timothee Chalamet is not here to pretend awards don't matter. After that polarizing SAG speech earlier this year, he's doubling down: call him a try-hard if you want, he's chasing greatness and not apologizing for saying it out loud.
Quick rewind: the SAG moment and the Oscar whiplash
Back in February, Chalamet won the SAG Award for best actor for playing Bob Dylan in A Complete Unknown and gave the kind of speech that usually lives only in group chats. He basically said he takes this stuff seriously, the award means a lot, and he's actively aiming to be one of the greats. One week later, at the Oscars, the statue went to Adrien Brody for The Brutalist. That swing from victory lap to face-plant is exactly what he's talking about now.
What he told Vogue: losing sucks and he knows it
In a new Vogue interview, the Dune star didn't sugarcoat the reality of awards season. He said the whole 'it's just an honor to be nominated' routine is nice, but plenty of actors still leave those rooms furious. He's seen the gracious version, sure, but he knows how it really feels when your name isn't called.
"People can call me a try-hard, and they can say whatever the fuck. But I'm the one actually doing it here."
That's the throughline: he's not embarrassed by ambition. If anything, he's irritated that saying it out loud is considered a bad look.
Next up: Marty Supreme is already drawing 'career-best' talk
Chalamet won't have to wait long for another crack at the big hardware. His new movie Marty Supreme, directed by Josh Safdie, is a fictionalized spin on real-life table tennis icon Marty Reisman. The hook is simple and blunt: a kid with a dream everyone mocks digs through hell to prove he belongs among the greats. Subtle? Not really. Tailor-made for an actor loudly chasing legacy? Absolutely.
The film dropped as a surprise world premiere at the New York Film Festival, and early reactions were loud in the best way. Critics called it the finest work of his career — think 'performance of a lifetime' and 'he was born to play this' territory — with outlets like Variety rounding up the raves.
Key dates to know
- February: Wins SAG Award for best actor for A Complete Unknown
- One week later: Loses the Oscar to Adrien Brody (The Brutalist)
- Recent: Opens up to Vogue about how much the wins — and losses — actually sting
- New York Film Festival: Marty Supreme premieres unannounced and draws career-best buzz
- December 25: Marty Supreme hits theaters
Bottom line: he's staking his claim in plain English. If the early buzz holds, this holiday season might back him up.