Timothée Chalamet on course for an Oscar: Will Hollywood's darling beat Adrien Brody's record?

When Timothée Chalamet (29) walked the red carpet at the Berlinale for the first time in 2015, hardly anyone noticed him - a 19-year-old, curly-haired boy with a lanky figure that ruined many of his auditions. Ten years later, things are different: At the Berlinale 2025, he was celebrated frenetically with screams and flashbulbs, and his press conference was bursting at the seams.

In between lies a career rise of superlatives: He had his breakthrough in 2017 with the summer Italian drama "Call Me by Your Name", in which he seduced the audience and the Academy alike as a young man with an awakening sexuality. After that, he proved with roles such as the drug-addicted son in "Beautiful Boy" and Paul Atreides in "Dune" that he is more than Hollywood's next teen heartthrob. Greta Gerwig (41), Woody Allen (89), Wes Anderson (55) and Netflix ("Don't Look Up") also secured his presence. With "Wonka" at the latest, he became a blockbuster guarantee.

Stay on the ground

The success brought with it a new life: Chalamet now hangs out with his big idols, especially rapper Kid Cudi (41), and is dating one of the most famous women in the world, Kylie Jenner (27). For the past two years, they have been appearing together at concerts, sporting events and award ceremonies, most recently giggling and holding hands on Valentine's Day in the Berlinale cinema.

In 2023, he told "GQ" about the rush of his career and his attempt to stay grounded: "You also have to have real experiences. Human experiences. You have to fall in love, you have to be bored." Chalamet continues to appear grounded in his public appearances. He always appears polite, takes more time for his fans than for the photographers, continues to go to award ceremonies with his mother, speaks admiringly of his colleagues and sometimes sneaks into a Chalamet look-a-like contest in New York (without winning it). Chalamet is still both: the prodigy and the puppy of Hollywood.

The biggest challenge of his career, he emphasizes in several interviews, was "Like A Complete Unknown," in which he played Bob Dylan (83). He prepared for it for five years, working with singing and guitar teachers, dialect coaches and movement trainers. He even played, sang and practiced Dylan on the set of "Dune" and "Wonka."

For the actual filming, he didn't let any friends or family onto the set and avoided private conversations with co-stars such as Edward Norton (55) and Elle Fanning (26). "I had three months to be Bob Dylan after five years of preparation. God forbid I make a wrong move, because I'm Timmy. I could be Timmy for the rest of my life!" he revealed to "Rolling Stone" about his approach.

Apparently he didn't make a wrong move. The reviews are outstanding, the Academy has nominated him - and now the Oscar is within reach.

At just 22 years old, Chalamet was nominated for an Oscar for "Call Me by Your Name" as the youngest actor in 70 years. In February 2025, he won the SAG Award as the youngest actor ever for his portrayal of Dylan. And on March 3, he could go down in history as the youngest Oscar winner in the "Best Actor" category. This would dethrone Adrien Brody (51), who won the award in 2003 - also at the age of 29, but a few months older. And sometimes the details matter.

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