Actor Timothée Chalamet has reiterated his admiration for professional wrestling during a Variety/CNN Town Hall interview with Matthew McConaughey. He described it as a significant influence on his career, blending athleticism and storytelling. Chalamet highlighted specific wrestlers and events that shaped his perspective.
Timothée Chalamet expressed his longstanding passion for professional wrestling in a recent Variety/CNN Town Hall interview alongside Matthew McConaughey. The actor, who first delved into the topic publicly in late 2025 on the What Do You Wanna Talk About podcast with Cody Rhodes, explained wrestling's role in his personal development.
Chalamet stated, “Hugely. Professional wrestling for me was sort of a guidepost growing up because I wanted to be an athlete, I just didn’t have the skill, the body, the physique, the speed. Acting was sort of — I grew up in an actor’s building and it wasn’t my dream at its core. It just wasn’t for whatever reason. WWE and professional wrestling was somewhere in the middle. It was like the titans our athletes, both men and women but with this showmanship and storytelling. It’s planned, it’s scripted, it’s fake some people say but the blows are real. The bruises are real. So, it was hugely inspirational. Not to get too pretentious, but almost in a Greek theater setting, the archetypes that these guys represent.”
He cited childhood influences like The Boogeyman, describing him as “archetypally nightmarish,” and mentioned the recent passing of wrestler Sabu. Chalamet also recalled showing McConaughey a Kevin Nash entrance video backstage, noting Nash's role in Magic Mike. He connected wrestling's appeal to broader cultural crossovers, such as Bad Bunny and IShowSpeed's involvement with WWE.
Reflecting on attending a Survivor Series event in New York, Chalamet added, “Professional wrestling and all its representing is deeply archetypal storytelling. It’s War Of The Worlds and it’s not told in a pretentious manner. It’s not about cinematic shots of whatever, but it gets to a core thing. It’s populist, it’s of the people. There’s nothing like WWE, man. They should pay me for saying this. The entrance themes, the vibes.”
Chalamet humorously suggested his wrestling name would be “The French Fool.” Separately, AEW wrestler MJF has expressed interest in collaborating with Chalamet.
