Timothee Chalamet ‘disappointed and sad’ at Oscars after controversial comments

Timothée Chalamet has struggled to maintain his ‘confident persona’ after missing out on the best actor award at the Oscars.

Leading into last night’s awards ceremony, the 30-year-old was a firm favourite to win the trophy for his starring role in the film Marty Supreme.

Also up for the award were Leonardo DiCaprio for One Battle After Another, Ethan Hawke for Blue Moon, Wagner Moura for The Secret Agent and Michael B Jordan for Sinners – with the latter being named the winner.

Although the actor smiled and clapped for his fellow nominee when he was announced, he was also contending with feelings of ‘genuine disappointment’.

‘Actors are notoriously good at hiding their emotions. Their job is to perform for the cameras, and Timothée Chalamet is no exception,’ body language expert Dr Beth Dawson, who teamed up with Mecca Bingo, told Metro.

‘Timothée knows the cameras are on him; he’s not naïve. However, we can see a micro-reaction as Michael’s name is called. He blinks once and looks down – that is a flash of genuine disappointment. His response is also quite subdued and restrained; even though he smiles and claps, he maintains composure.

‘When he claps for Michael, his mouth opens slightly, but the movement is contained and it is a polite and controlled display of congratulations. The emotion may be genuine, but it is kept contained and controlled.’

She went on to say that the actor remained ‘steady, still and composed, clapping politely’. Although she said it was ‘difficult to gauge’ his emotions at first, a ‘quiver of the bottom lip’ gives his feelings away.

‘This lip quiver shows disappointment and sadness but he’s trying to keep it contained. As he claps, his mouth opens just a little and again he’s performing the polite signals of congratulations while managing his emotions of sadness and disappointment,’ she explained.

Analysing Timothée’s expressions before the announcement is made, Dr Dawson said the actor’s expression suggests he was pacifying himself as his ‘fingers were clasped together and his chin is level’.

‘When the hands are interlinked like this it can act as a subtle self-soothing gesture, almost like holding your own hands for reassurance. People often do this when managing tension or uncertainty while waiting for something important,’ she went on.

‘You can also see his mouth pressed together, showing tension, and his chin slightly lowered, suggesting he may already be managing his expectations. This shows us that he is tense but also that he is not expecting to win.’

Ahead of the Oscars, speculation was rife that Timothée had tanked his chances of being named the winner after courting controversy for comments he made about ballet and opera – saying that ‘no-one cared’ about them anymore.

The actor made the remark during a public conversation with Matthew McConaughey at the University of Texas in February while discussing the future of cinema.

He also quickly appeared to recognise the comment could spark criticism in the moment. ‘I just lost 14 cents in viewership,’ he joked. ‘I just took shots for no reason.’

But when it came time for Oscars host Conan O’Brien’s opening monologue, he couldn’t help but poke fun at the backlash to what the actor had said.

‘Security is extremely tight tonight. Just got to mention that, yeah, I’m told there’s concerns about attacks from both the opera and ballet communities,’ he quipped.

The camera cut to Timothée, who then smiled and laughed. ‘They’re just mad you left out jazz,’ Conan then added.

After coming under fire for taking aim at ballet and opera, the actor seemingly had his guard up when it came time to walk the red carpet at the Oscars too.

‘When public attention shifts like this, people often change how they present themselves physically. Body language becomes part of the narrative,’ Dr Dawson explained.

On the red carpet ahead of the event, the actor posed for photos whilst also wearing sunglasses.

As the body language expert explained, his posture was ‘striking’. ‘A wide stance increases the space the body occupies and can signal status, confidence and presence. It is a classic way of reclaiming territory when someone knows they are under scrutiny,’ she said.

Referencing his sunglasses, she said they played an ‘important psychological role’. ‘Eyes are the most revealing part of the face and when someone covers them, it creates distance. In high-pressure environments, sunglasses can function almost like a shield. They reduce visible emotional leakage and help the wearer maintain composure when cameras are constantly searching for reactions.’

She then said his outfit and posture showed the actor wanted to project ‘attitude and control’.

Although Timothée didn’t go home with the Oscar, his trophy cabinet is already pretty well stacked his awards season following his best actor wins at the Golden Globes and Critics’ Choice Awards.

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