A THR piece tackling the Oscars asks the simple question: “Why Not Timothée?”; this comes after Scott Feinberg reported on Sunday that Chalamet’s “swagger” has “put off” many Oscar voters he’s spoken to.
At just 30, Chalamet has unmatched self-promotion skills, driving huge box-office success, yet persuading Oscar voters remains a tougher hurdle. When he lost the SAG award to Michael B. Jordan, the Best Actor race suddenly shifted. In a way, it was somewhat predictable—raising questions about whether Chalamet’s intense, campaign-on-steroids approach would backfire. It might have.
The last actor to win the Oscar after losing both the BAFTA and SAG was George Clooney for “Syriana,” and that was 20 years ago. Those are the odds Chalamet now faces.
Chalamet apologists argue that he lost SAG only because he had won the award last year for “A Complete Unknown,” and indeed, no lead actor has ever won the category two years in a row. But there may be more at play than just that.
For any other actor in Chalamet’s position, the Oscar would be all but assured. Yet some believe he might lose. Why? As THR reports, his relentless campaigning over the past few months could have hurt his chances. Chalamet marches to the beat of his own drum—breaking Hollywood’s unwritten rules by speaking freely, promoting his own work, and openly admitting he wants the Oscar.
However, Jordan’s win has flipped the Best Actor race on its head. It’s possible that neither he nor Chalamet will take home the trophy; I wouldn’t be surprised if Wagner Moura or Leonardo DiCaprio unexpectedly emerge to claim the Oscar.
It’s worth noting that Jordan’s victory came as Oscar voting was underway, which only amplified his momentum while undercutting Chalamet’s.
If Chalamet ultimately loses the Oscar after months of predictions favoring him, what would explain such a downfall? Was it the exposé regarding Josh Safdie’s “Good Time” set incident? His relentless self-promotion? “Marty” had tremendous momentum, glowing reviews, and strong box-office numbers ($157M+), yet the ship appears to have been torpedoed. Now, everyone is left wondering whether Chalamet can still secure the Oscar on March 15.