At the beginning of his career, Timothée Chalamet was often described as a whimsical actor in Hollywood. He first rose to fame in 2017 with “Call Me By Your Name,” a film where his performance was defined by a rare emotional depth. Back then, Chalamet seemed like an actor who prioritized movies focused on compassion. Whether he was playing the heartbroken Elio Perlman or the struggling addict Nic Sheff in “Beautiful Boy,” there was a genuineness surrounding him.

As we look at his career now, however, that original spark of whimsy has largely been replaced. He has moved away from the sensitive roles that made him an indie icon and toward a more controlled, professional image.

The role that solidified this shift was undoubtedly Paul Atreides in the “Dune” franchise. In order to lead in this massive blockbuster, Chalamet had to trade his characteristic vulnerability for a more stern persona. Chalamet has often been seen practicing method acting, which could point to his shift in the roles that he is taking being the cause of his overall change in personality. In these films, his performance is less about human emotion and more about power and destiny. While this change is what brought him even more stardom and made him a global superstar, it also signified the end of an era.

His most recent project is Marty Supreme, directed by Josh Safdie. This film, while it reached a huge amount of success, further illustrates this change in persona. Playing an ego-driven ping-pong champion is far flung from the empathetic and perceptive teenagers he used to play. This new phase in his career shows that he would rather play a brash, competitive and less relatable character, a more “leading man,” per se.

This change hasn’t just happened on the screen; it is visible in the way Chalamet carries himself in the media. In his early years, he was known for being somewhat goofy and self-deprecating in interviews. Today, his public persona feels much more curated and professional. Between his high-fashion partnerships with brands such as Chanel and Cartier, his presence in the tabloids and his relationship with Kylie Jenner, a member of the Kardashian family, Chalamet has become the epitome of celebrity status rather than someone the fans really feel connected to.

This shift was cemented during his acceptance speech for a SAG Award attributed to his role in “A Complete Unknown,” where Chalamet said, “The truth is, I’m really in pursuit of greatness. I know people don’t usually talk like that, but I want to be one of the greats.” This marked a moment when his public perception fully pivoted, revealing Chalamet as a fiend for self-empowerment and personal growth. He once summarized this mindset by quoting William Ernest Henley’s “Invictus,” “You can be the master of your fate, you could be the captain of your soul, but you have to realize that life is coming from you and not at you, and that takes time”

Amid this shift, Chalamet also sparked controversy with comments about certain forms of art, saying, “I don’t want to be working in ballet, or opera or things where it’s like, ‘Hey, keep this thing alive, even though like no one cares about this anymore.’” While some, such as me, interpreted his point as a critique of how certain art forms struggle for relevance today, and that that burden shouldn’t be placed on him or any unwilling spectators of the situation, others found it to be ignorant and offensive. Many people saw this as an insult to traditional art forms, and the backlash reinforced the idea that his growing confidence can come off as out of touch.

While some critics called this ambition “egotistical,” and while some fans say that Chalamet went from dropping banger films and quotes to acting like a frat boy, others say it represents his aggressive drive for greatness. But in chasing that greatness so openly, has he sacrificed the very authenticity that made audiences connect with him in the first place?

The views in this column do not necessarily reflect the views of the HiLite staff. Reach Laasya Avula at [email protected].