Timothée Chalamet names his favourite books of all time
Timothée Chalamet has emerged as one of the leading acting talents of his generation, drawing critical acclaim and global attention for his performances in films such as Call Me by Your Name. Having worked with celebrated filmmakers such as Christopher Nolan and Greta Gerwig, Chalamet has transformed into a phenom.
Chalamet already boasts a filmography that other actors his age can only dream of, but he continuously sets his sight on new horizons. Now, he is set to star in a brand new musical titled Wonka, which will explore the unique origin story and the formative years of Roald Dahl’s iconic character: Willy Wonka.
While discussing the project in an interview, Chalamet expressed his gratitude for the opportunity and revealed that playing something less psychologically demanding was refreshing. He said: “It’s not mining the darker emotions in life. It’s a celebration of being off-centre and of being OK with the weirder parts of you that don’t quite fit in.”
In addition to Wonka, Chalamet will also star in the sequel to Denis Villeneuve’s adaptation of Frank Herbert’s epic sci-fi masterpiece. Chalamet commented: “Dune was written 60 years ago, but its themes hold up today. A warning against the exploitation of the environment, a warning against colonialism, a warning against technology.”
Although Chalamet has spoken about his love for Herbert’s visionary artistic sensibilities on multiple occasions, Dune did not feature in the actor’s collection of favourite books. Instead, he cited other important literary achievements by legendary pioneers – ranging from George Orwell to Fyodor Dostoyevsky.
Check out the full list below.
Timothée Chalamet’s favourite books:
- Crime and Punishment – Fyodor Dostoyevsky
- The Shallows – Nicholas Carr
- Notes from the Underground – Fyodor Dostoyevsky
- Winners Take All – Anand Giridharadas
- The Idiot – Fyodor Dostoyevsky
- 1984 – George Orwell
- Little Women – Louisa May Alcott
- The Brothers Karamazov – Fyodor Dostoyevsky
- The Perks of Being a Wallflower – Stephen Chbosky
- Chronicles – Vol. 1 – Bob Dylan
- The Book of Disquiet – Fernando Pessoa
- Their Eyes Were Watching God – Zora Neale Hurston
- And Then the End Will Come! – Brandon Andress
From this list, it is evident that Chalamet has been deeply influenced by the works of Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoyevsky. Traces of his brilliant examinations of existentialism and modernity can be found in the works of many contemporary writers.
Alongside essential classics like 1984 and Little Women, Chalamet also mentioned the 2013 book And Then the End Will Come! which addresses relevant questions about the collapse of human civilisation, a subject that continues to haunt us.
