Timothée Chalamet admits it’s “tough to be alive” in an era defined by social media.
“To be young now, and to be young whenever — I can only speak for my generation — is to be intensely judged,” the actor, 26, said during a press conference at the Venice Film Festival, per E! News.
Chalamet – who was promoting his upcoming “Bones and All” film – told reporters that “it was a relief” to play a character named Lee, who grew up in a time long before platforms like Reddit, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok existed.
“Without casting judgment on that, you can find your tribe there, but I think it’s tough to be alive now,” he explained.
“I think [a] societal collapse is in the air — or it smells like it — and, without being pretentious, that’s why hopefully movies matter, because that’s the role of the artist … to shine a light on what’s going on.”
On Friday, Chalamet’s latest flick received a 10-minute standing ovation following its premiere at the festival.
The Luca Guadagnino-directed horror movie, which doubles as a coming-of-age story, takes place in the Ronald Reagan-era United States, as two teenage cannibals from Indiana – Lee (Chalamet) and Maren (Taylor Russell) – hit the road in search of the latter’s missing father.
The Italian filmmaker previously chose Chalamet to lead his 2017 queer-romantic drama “Call Me By Your Name,” which takes place in Italy in 1938. His critically lauded performance as 17-year-old Elio marked the actor’s breakout role following the movie’s global success, which also propelled Guadagnino, 51, into the international spotlight.
Since then, Chalamet has starred in various coming-of-age stories that run the gamut of genres, from the cult-classic sci-fi “Dune” to Greta Gerwig’s adaptation of the timeless tale “Little Women” to the Shakespearean historical-fiction epic “The King.”
In any case, Chalamet’s bold statement to the press still paled in comparison to his look at the premiere of “Bones and All” that same day, with the actor igniting a frenzy upon walking the red carpet in a ruby-hued backless halter top and matching slacks.
The Haider Ackerman-designed look was reportedly custom-tailored for the “Beautiful Boy” actor as he’d seemingly adapted the ‘fit from the brand’s 2018 womenswear collection.
