Ballet dancer Misty Copeland has critiqued actor Timothée Chalamet for his comments dismissing ballet and opera. Speaking at an Aveeno panel, Copeland highlighted the arts' enduring relevance and her own involvement in promoting Chalamet's film Marty Supreme. Both are set to appear at the Oscars on March 15.
Misty Copeland addressed Timothée Chalamet's recent remarks about ballet and opera during a panel for Aveeno. Chalamet had stated that "no one cares" about these art forms, drawing backlash from the entertainment community.
Copeland, a prominent ballet dancer, pointed out her participation in promoting Chalamet's film Marty Supreme. In November 2025, she shared an Instagram post wearing a Marty Supreme-branded jacket, accompanied by a childhood photo of herself dancing ballet captioned "Dream Big." The post was reposted on the film's official Instagram account.
"First I have to say that it’s very interesting that he invited me to be a part of promoting Marty Supreme with respect to my art form," Copeland said.
She emphasized ballet and opera's cultural significance, noting, "I think that it’s important that we acknowledge that, yes, this is an art form that’s not ‘popular’ and a part of pop culture as movies are, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have enduring relevance in culture."
In her social media post, Copeland added, "there’s a reason that the opera and ballet have been around for over 400 years."
Copeland described her career efforts: "That’s the work that I’ve been doing my whole career is to bring more people into it. So that people do understand the importance and the relevance of it in our communities and our culture, and you see it reflected everywhere."
She directly linked the arts to Chalamet's success, stating, "I mean, he wouldn’t be an actor and have the opportunities he has as a movie star if it weren’t for opera and ballet and their relevance in that medium. So all of these mediums have a space and we shouldn’t be comparing them."
Copeland and Chalamet are both scheduled for the Oscars on March 15. Copeland will perform as part of the presentation for the Oscar-nominated song from Sinners, while Chalamet is nominated for Best Actor for Marty Supreme.
