Timothée Chalamet’s 10 Best Performances, Ranked

This article mentions drug addiction.

At just 29 years old, Timothée Chalamet is already one of the most popular actors in the world. Chalamet was born and raised in New York City and began to pursue acting while in high school. He began his career with supporting roles in television shows before making his film debut in Men, Women & Children, which was shortly followed by his appearance in the critically acclaimed Christopher Nolan movie Interstellar. Chalamet’s various roles always stand out as the star can bring a unique quality to each of his characters that elevates the roles in subtle ways.

What’s more, many of Chalamet’s roles are vastly different, showcasing just how broad his range is. Chalamet’s A Complete Unknown Oscar nomination even broke a nearly 70-year-old record, which points to just how rare his accomplishments are. Even Chalamet’s lesser-known roles showcase his talent, proving that choosing his 10 best performances is no easy task.

10

Wonka (2023)

The Musical Performance Introduced Audiences To A New Side Of Chalamet

Movie

My Favorite Movies
My Watchlist

Success!

Wonka Movie Poster

Your Rating

close

10 stars

9 stars

8 stars

7 stars

6 stars

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Rate Now

0/10

Leave a Review

Your comment has not been saved

Wonka

Family

Adventure

Comedy

ScreenRant logo

5/10

7.2/10

Release Date

December 15, 2023

Director

Paul King

Cast

See All

  • Headshot Of Sally Hawkins

    Sally Hawkins

  • Headshot Of Olivia Colman In The New York Special Screening Of 'Wicked Little Letters'

    Olivia Colman

Powered by

Expand
Collapse

The 2023 musical comedy Wonka was a completely new type of role for Timothée Chalamet at that point in his career, and it proved to be quite a successful venture for the star. Chalamet gave voice to a new interpretation of the well-known character, allowing Wonka to rival the previous versions of Willy Wonka. The film serves as a sort of origin story for the character that sees him compete with other chocolatiers despite the obstacles that he faces along the way.

While the movie did give audiences a taste of Chalamet’s singing abilities and talent at portraying a character more suited to younger audiences, it is not quite as impressive as many of his dramatic roles.

Wonka is very whimsical and bright, and Chalamet does an impressive job of creating a character that broadly appeals to both children and adults. However, the film and Chalamet’s performance were not without criticism, as some viewers felt that the movie’s overly sweet tone simplified the character from previous portrayals. While the movie did give audiences a taste of Chalamet’s singing abilities and talent at portraying a character more suited to younger audiences, it is not quite as impressive as many of his dramatic roles.

9

Beautiful Boy (2018)

Chalamet’s Haunting Performance Is Unlike Any Of His Other Roles

Movie

My Favorite Movies
My Watchlist

Success!

Your Rating

close

10 stars

9 stars

8 stars

7 stars

6 stars

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Rate Now

0/10

Leave a Review

Your comment has not been saved

Beautiful Boy

R

Biography

Drama

ScreenRant logo

6/10

Release Date

October 12, 2018

Runtime

120 minutes

Cast

See All

  • Headshot Of Timothée Chalamet

    Timothée Chalamet

  • Headshot Of Kaitlyn Dever In The Los Angeles Premiere Of ‘Ticket To Paradise'

    Kaitlyn Dever

Powered by

Expand
Collapse

Based on the true story of David Sheff and his son, Nic, Beautiful Boy stars Steve Carell and Timothée Chalamet as a father and son with a strained relationship. Because the movie is based on real life and deals with drug addiction, it is a very heavy watch compared to many of Chalamet’s other performances. Beautiful Boy’s somber tone certainly stands in stark contrast to many of the star’s characters, proving just how broad Timothée Chalamet’s range is.

Beautiful Boy sees Chalamet’s Nic Sheff struggle over several years with a drug addiction that massively impacts his relationship with his family and his health. Chalamet approaches the role with diligence and makes the audience feel the true weight of Nic’s actions as well as the moments where he strives to overcome his choices. While the movie did not see box office success, Chalamet’s performance was highly praised by critics. Beautiful Boy earned Chalamet nominations at the Golden Globes, the BAFTAs, the Critics’ Choice Awards, and the SAG Awards, among others.

8

The French Dispatch (2021)

The Wes Anderson Film Is Perfectly Funny

Movie

My Favorite Movies
My Watchlist

Success!

Your Rating

close

10 stars

9 stars

8 stars

7 stars

6 stars

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Rate Now

0/10

Leave a Review

Your comment has not been saved

The French Dispatch

R

Comedy

Romance

Drama

ScreenRant logo

4/10

7.8/10

Release Date

October 22, 2021

Runtime

103 minutes

Cast

See All

  • Headshot Of Owen Wilson In The 2006 MTV Movie Awards

    Owen Wilson

  • Headshot Of Timothée Chalamet

    Timothée Chalamet

Powered by

Expand
Collapse

The French Dispatch is an anthology film, which means that Timothée Chalamet’s role is not as large as some of his other projects, but he does steal the scene when he is onscreen. As with other Wes Anderson movies, The French Dispatch perfectly balances its comedic and more dramatic aspects, and Chalamet’s talents blend well into this style. He makes an appearance as Zeffirelli in a segment that focuses on a student protest called the “Chessboard Revolution,” where he attempts to write a manifesto with the help of a local journalist.

Timothee Chalamet as Bob Dylan singing on stage with another musician in A Complete Unknown trailer

Related

Timothée Chalamet’s Reaction To His Big 2025 SAG Awards Win Confirms A Harsh Reality About The Movie Industry & Oscars

Timothée Chalamet picked up a SAG Award win, and his speech examines one of the harshest realities about the film industry and awards show culture.

Posts

2

What works so well in this smaller role is Timothée Chalamet’s ability to pull off a humorous nonchalance that plays well with the other cast members and the tone of the movie as a whole. Doing comedic roles well can be very difficult, and not every dramatic actor always gets it right, but The French Dispatch is one example of how Anderson’s specific mix of comedy and drama works very well for Timothée Chalamet.

7

Dune (2021)

Chalamet Cemented Himself As A Sci-Fi Action Hero

Movie

My Favorite Movies
My Watchlist

Success!

Your Rating

close

10 stars

9 stars

8 stars

7 stars

6 stars

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Rate Now

0/10

Leave a Review

Your comment has not been saved

Dune

PG-13

Action

Adventure

Science Fiction

Drama

ScreenRant logo

5/10

31

8/10

Release Date

October 22, 2021

Runtime

155 minutes

Cast

See All

  • Headshot Of Dave Bautista In The Glass Onion A Knives Out Mystery' Premiere, part of the London Film Festival

    Dave Bautista

  • Headshot Of Rebecca Ferguson In The World Premiere of

    Rebecca Ferguson

Powered by

Expand
Collapse

Science fiction books can be notoriously difficult to adapt well, as was the case of the previous iterations of Dune, but Dune (2021) instantly became a massive success, in large part due to the fantastic direction by Denis Villeneuve and Timothée Chalamet’s excellent portrayal of Paul Atreides. The science fiction epic is sweeping in every sense of the word. From the beautiful settings to the unusual characters, Dune is a very strong addition to Timothée Chalamet’s career.

Dune won six Oscars, one Golden Globe, five BAFTAs, and three Critics’ Choice Awards.

Though Chalamet had previously starred in the impressive Interstellar, he was quite young and did not have a massive role due to the age change requiring another actor for the second half of the film. Thus, Dune was the first time that audiences really got to see what he could do in a science fiction epic. Given how complex both the Dune series and the character of Paul are, Timothée Chalamet did a great job of making Paul Atreides his own.

6

Lady Bird (2017)

The Supporting Role Still Makes An Impact

Movie

My Favorite Movies
My Watchlist

Success!

Lady Bird movie poster

Your Rating

close

10 stars

9 stars

8 stars

7 stars

6 stars

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Rate Now

0/10

Leave a Review

Your comment has not been saved

Lady Bird

R

Comedy

Drama

ScreenRant logo

9/10

7.8/10

Release Date

November 10, 2017

Runtime

94 Minutes

Cast

See All

  • Headshot Of Timothée Chalamet

    Timothée Chalamet

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Lucas Hedges

Powered by

Expand
Collapse

Lady Bird is one of the best coming-of-age movies of the past decade and sees a heartfelt depiction of a mother-daughter relationship that is both difficult and still full of love. While Timothée Chalamet’s Kyle Scheible is by no means the focus of the film, his performance and the overall greatness of the movie earn Lady Bird a place on this list. Saoirse Ronan’s character Lady Bird is an impressive portrayal of what it feels like to be a teenager who believes herself to be an adult, and Chalamet’s Kyle creates a great reminder of the reality.

Timothee Chalamet in SNL

Related

Timothée Chalamet’s Record-Breaking SNL 50 Return Makes His Best Skit Even Better

SNL 50 taps Timothée Chalamet for another hosting gig, but he’ll do double-duty as a musical guest too, making his best skit in the show even better.

Posts

Lady Bird is quite intentionally told through the perspective of a teenage girl, and Kyle plays a very interesting role in that perspective. While Timothée Chalamet plays him in a way that is quite charming, there is also an underlying note that he does not necessarily have Lady Bird’s best interests at heart. On the whole, the movie is an interesting portrayal of youth, and Chalamet’s performance encapsulates a sense of youthful naïveté despite not being the main character.

5

Little Women (2019)

Laurie Is A Great Character, And Chalamet Embodied Him Well

Movie

My Favorite Movies
My Watchlist

Success!

Your Rating

close

10 stars

9 stars

8 stars

7 stars

6 stars

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Rate Now

0/10

Leave a Review

Your comment has not been saved

Little Women

PG

Romance

Drama

ScreenRant logo

10/10

9.1/10

Release Date

December 25, 2019

Runtime

135 minutes

Cast

See All

  • Headshot Of Emma Watson In The Kering Foundation Caring For Women Dinner

    Emma Watson

  • Headshot Of Timothée Chalamet

    Timothée Chalamet

Powered by

Expand
Collapse

Little Women has been adapted numerous times since its 1868 release, so there is no shortage of versions to compare. However, Greta Gerwig’s 2019 version of the beloved story does stand out above the rest. The movie as a whole was very well received, and the entire cast gave great performances. Though it is difficult to pick Timothée Chalamet’s performance as a stand-out since Saoirse Ronan and Florence Pugh both received Oscar nominations, he is able to match their talents.

In the earlier segments, Chalamet is believable as a young Laurie, becoming friends with Jo for the first time, but he is equally believable as a man proposing to Amy several years later.

Chalamet makes a great impression as the March sisters’ lovable neighbor, Laurie. Because each of the performers has to depict the same characters over a significant period of their lives, it is very impressive to see the changes that Chalamet and his co-stars make to the personalities of their characters. In the earlier segments, Chalamet is believable as a young Laurie, becoming friends with Jo for the first time, but he is equally believable as a man proposing to Amy several years later. Overall, Chalamet is a very lovable Laurie.

4

Bones and All (2022)

The Dark Performance Tapped Into Interesting Feelings

Movie

My Favorite Movies
My Watchlist

Success!

Bones and All Movie Poster

Your Rating

close

10 stars

9 stars

8 stars

7 stars

6 stars

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Rate Now

0/10

Leave a Review

Your comment has not been saved

Bones and All

R

Drama

Horror

Romance

ScreenRant logo

5/10

Release Date

November 23, 2022

Runtime

130 minutes

Cast

See All

  • Headshot Of Chloe Sevigny

    Chloe Sevigny

  • Headshot Of Timothée Chalamet

    Timothée Chalamet

Powered by

Expand
Collapse

Sadly, Timothée Chalamet’s cannibal love story underperformed at the box office at the time of its release, but it deserves more credit. Bones and All was well-received by critics and is a perfect example of the work that Timothée Chalamet can produce in a genre-bending and unusual movie. Bones and All focuses on Maren (Taylor Russell), a young woman who has a compulsion to eat humans who have been abandoned by her father. As she travels across the country to find her mother, she encounters other people like her, including Lee (Chalamet).

Lee and Maren’s love story is certainly unusual, but the performances of Russell and Chalamet make the movie incredibly compelling, nonetheless. Chalamet’s performance is full of nuance that allows audiences to feel a vast amount of sympathy for characters who, in many other movies, would be villains. The movie represents accepting oneself and loved ones despite their negative qualities, and it is both beautiful and horrifying.

3

Dune: Part Two (2024)

The Second Dune Movie Showed A New Side To Paul Atreides

Movie

My Favorite Movies
My Watchlist

Success!

01644435_poster_w780.jpg

Your Rating

close

10 stars

9 stars

8 stars

7 stars

6 stars

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Rate Now

0/10

Leave a Review

Your comment has not been saved

Dune: Part Two

PG-13

Science Fiction

Adventure

ScreenRant logo

9/10

108

8.9/10

Release Date

February 27, 2024

Runtime

167 minutes

Cast

See All

  • Headshot Of Timothée Chalamet

    Timothée Chalamet

    Paul Atreides

  • Headshot Of Zendaya In The Los Angeles Premiere Of Amazon MGM Studios' 'Challengers'

    Zendaya

    Chani

Powered by

Expand
Collapse

Both of Timothée Chalamet’s Dune movies are undeniably great. They are beautifully shot and scored and well-acted. However, between the two, Chalamet’s performance in Dune: Part Two takes the cake. Despite portraying the same character, Chalamet’s 2024 performance was able to show a whole new side of Paul. While Dune was a great set-up for things to come, Dune: Part Two really sees all the different tensions boil over, especially the smaller, more personal ones, such as the conflict between Paul and Chani.

Dune timeline explained oscar isaac Zendaya Timothee chalamet

Related

Dune Timeline Explained: Present To The Year 10191

Dune is set 20,000 years in the future, making it very different from many science fiction franchises. Here are the key events in its history.

Posts

Dune: Part Two sees Paul go from the hero and savior of the people of Arrakis to the villain of his own story, and Timothée Chalamet depicts that transformation perfectly. The movie still includes all the same great science fiction and action aspects of the first installment, but it does serve to complicate the story in a fascinating way, and Chalamet’s performance is a big part of that.

2

Call Me By Your Name (2017)

Chalamet’s Breakout Role Is Still Among His Best

Movie

My Favorite Movies
My Watchlist

Success!

Your Rating

close

10 stars

9 stars

8 stars

7 stars

6 stars

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Rate Now

0/10

Leave a Review

Your comment has not been saved

Call Me By Your Name

R

Drama

Romance

ScreenRant logo

9/10

8.8/10

Release Date

November 24, 2017

Runtime

130 Minutes

Cast

See All

  • Headshot Of Armie Hammer

    Armie Hammer

  • Headshot Of Timothée Chalamet

    Timothée Chalamet

Powered by

Expand
Collapse

Though Timothée Chalamet had already lent his skills to several movies before starring in Call Me By Your Name, the 2017 movie was where he truly broke out as one of the biggest up-and-coming actors. The movie in its entirety is incredibly beautiful visually, but it is undoubtedly aided by its great performances, particularly Chalamet’s. Chalamet stars as a teenage boy living with his parents in Northern Italy who experiences his first real romance with an older man working as his father’s graduate student.

Elio is youthful and inexperienced, but he very clearly wants to understand love and the world.

Call Me By Your Name is as beautiful and joyful as it is heartbreaking. Chalamet’s performance as Elio feels incredibly tender, as he is able to perfectly depict the coming-of-age story in a way that feels authentic. Elio is youthful and inexperienced, but he very clearly wants to understand love and the world. Call Me By Your Name is undeniably one of Chalamet’s best performances to date and something that he will be remembered for long into his career due to how wholly he was able to make Elio feel to audiences.

1

A Complete Unknown (2024)

A Complete Unknown Cements Chalamet As One Of The Best Stars Of The Decade

Movie

My Favorite Movies
My Watchlist

Success!

A Complete Unknown Official Teaser Poster

Your Rating

close

10 stars

9 stars

8 stars

7 stars

6 stars

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Rate Now

0/10

Leave a Review

Your comment has not been saved

A Complete Unknown

Biography

Drama

Music

ScreenRant logo

6/10

133

9.5/10

Release Date

December 25, 2024

Runtime

140 minutes

Cast

See All

  • Headshot Of Timothée Chalamet

    Timothée Chalamet

    Bob Dylan

  • Headshot Of Edward Norton In The 10th Annual Breakthrough Prize Ceremony

    Edward Norton

    Pete Seeger

Powered by

Expand
Collapse

Timothée Chalamet’s performance in A Complete Unknown is a masterful recreation of the life of one of the most influential musicians of all time. While A Complete Unknown does take some creative liberties in depicting Bob Dylan’s life, Bob Dylan himself has approved Chalamet’s portrayal of him. Playing a real figure onscreen can be incredibly difficult to get right since there is a very definitive way of interpreting the individual, but Chalamet clearly did his research.

imagery-from-A-Complete-Unknown-

Related

A Complete Unknown Ending Explained: How It Compares To Bob Dylan’s Real Life

James Mangold tackles Bob Dylan’s life and career during the 1960s. We break down the biopic’s ending and how it compares to Dylan’s real life.

Posts

The level of care that Timothée Chalamet takes in his approach to his craft is abundantly clear in A Complete Unknown. He understands, and helps audiences understand, a very complex figure who is both a hero and has made many mistakes. As with many of his other performances, the nuances present in Chalamet’s acting abilities are on full display as Bob Dylan, making him electric to watch. While A Complete Unknown ranks first right now, Timothée Chalamet does have more lined up, and his career looks set to remain just as interesting.

Headshot Of Timothée Chalamet

Timothée Chalamet

Birthdate

December 27, 1995

Birthplace

New York City, New York, United States

Notable Projects

Dune, Call Me By Your Name, Dune: Part Two

Professions

Actor