Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli has extended an invitation to Timothée Chalamet after the Oscar-nominated actor sparked widespread criticism with his remarks dismissing opera and ballet as art forms "no-one cares about".
The 30-year-old Marty Supreme star, who is up for Best Actor at this weekend's Academy Awards, made the controversial comments during a live conversation with Matthew McConaughey at a Variety and CNN town hall last month.
Mr Chalamet stated he would not want to work in an art form that audiences have abandoned, specifically citing ballet and opera as examples before acknowledging he was "taking shots for no reason".
Speaking to People, Mr Bocelli offered a measured response to the controversy, describing opera and ballet as art forms that have endured for centuries because they fulfil a profound human desire for beauty, truth and emotional connection.
The tenor expressed that he would welcome Timothee Chalamet with open arms
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"They are not arts of the past, but living languages that can still move us, make us reflect, and bring different generations together," the legendary tenor said.
Mr Bocelli expressed confidence that Chalamet, whom he described as a sensitive performer who grasps the power of emotion, might eventually recognise that opera and dance spring from the same creative wellspring.
"Should he ever be curious, I would be happy to welcome him as a guest at one of my concerts," he added.
The actor has faced a torrent of criticism from figures across the performing arts world, with ballet star Misty Copeland among those who have publicly challenged his remarks.
The star put his foot in it during a recent interview
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Nathan Lane delivered a particularly scathing assessment during an appearance on The View, describing Chalamet's comments as "kaleidoscopic in its stupidity and insensitivity".
The veteran actor quipped: "If you think nobody cares about opera and ballet, I can't tell you how much we don't care about ping-pong" — a reference to Chalamet's forthcoming film Marty Supreme.
Alfie Boe waded into the row and told The Standard: "That's quite a shocking statement. To say nobody cares about opera is a bit drastic.
"I don't think that's true. There's a lot of people who care about opera. My audience love it when I sing opera."
Alfie Boe was left shocked over the comments which had been made
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Mr Boe quipped that he might need to "have a word" with the Dune star and continued: “You present classical music to anybody out there, and they'd appreciate it in some way, so you can't say that nobody cares about it.
"I think music in general — we care about melody, we care about rhythm and structure — and opera has some of the greatest melodies and structures there are.”
Wynne Evans also gave his passionate verdict on Mr Chalamet’s comments via his Instagram and fumed: “I wanted to come on and talk about Timothée Chalamet and him saying that opera and ballet aren't relevant anymore.
"I find it odd that a man who is fighting for the future of cinema is actually dissing the two art forms that brought us opera and cinema in the first place.
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"I mean, I don't understand why you would knock it, and in a world that is full of AI, a world that is full of fake, a world that is full of auto-tune, these are the the two art forms that are raw, that are performing without the aid of a safety net, you know.
"There's no mic, there's no auto-tune, there's nothing. There's just you there, making this connection with the audience.
"And opera houses, to be fair, are going out of their way to make it more accessible. Alright, there's still a lot of work to do there, but I think you've got it wrong, mate."
He concluded the video message with direct words to the actor, adding: "I don't think you can knock something that's survived for 400 years and is still going.
"What we should see is if one of your films is still around in 400 years, and then we'll have a chat."
The actor's remarks have sparked a huge response, with The Royal Ballet and Opera having issued a formal statement to The Hollywood Reporter, declaring: "Ballet and opera have never existed in isolation. They have continually informed, inspired and elevated other art forms."
Mr Chalamet has yet to publicly address the backlash.
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