Science fiction fans are freaking out over Denis Villeneuve's forthcoming adaptation of Frank Herbert's classic novel Dune. Villeneuve – known for Blade Runner 2049 and Arrival – seems like a perfect fit to direct this experimental epic fantasy story. Timothée Chalamet also seems like a perfect fit for the role of the story's protagonist, Paul Atreides.
Long before Dune, Timothée Chalamet's breakout came in Luca Guadagnino's 2017 queer romance Call Me By Your Name. Set in 1983 Italy, Chalamet plays 17-year-old Elio Perlman. Over the course of the summer, Elio falls in love with his father's graduate student Oliver, played by Armie Hammer. This list compiles 10 facts about Timothée Chalamet's role in Call Me By Your Name, facts to get you excited about Chalamet's take on Paul Atreides.
Chalamet's Character Elio Is Based On André Aciman's 2007 Novel
In French writer André Aciman's coming-of-age novel, Elio Perlman is the narrator. Aciman's novel jumps around in time, but Luca Guadagnino's film is set only in 1983.
Elio is a precocious 17-year-old who reads voraciously and plays the piano. Elio is a queer character who dates a French woman named Marzia before he meets his father's handsome graduate assistant Oliver. Soon, Elio's attraction to Oliver overshadows everything else in his life.
Shia LaBeouf Was Considered For The Role, Too
Screenwriter James Ivory met with actor Shia LaBeouf early on in the film's casting process. Ivory was impressed by LaBeouf's reading, but LaBeouf's public troubles affected his chances of being cast.
Ultimately, the film's production company chose to skip over LaBeouf, worried his reputation could mar the movie's success in theatres.
Before Call Me By Your Name, Chalamet Appeared In Both Plays And Films
Before being cast as Elio Perlman, Timothée Chalamet made his acting debut in Jason Reitman's 2014 film Men, Women & Children. That year, Chalamet also co-starred in Christopher Nolan's Interstellar as teenage Tom Cooper, the son of Matthew McConaughey's character Joseph Cooper.
In 2016, Chalamet starred in the biographical play Prodigal Son at the Manhattan Theatre Club. Chalamet was handpicked by the director and screenwriter John Patrick Shanley.
The Husband of Producer Peter Spears Introduced Chalamet To Director Luca Guadagnino
Brian Swardstrom, a casting director, introduced young Timothée Chalamet to Luca Guadagnino, the Italian director chosen to make James Ivory's script a reality. From the start, Guadagnino was impressed by Chalamet.
Chalamet never had to complete a screen test with his co-star Armie Hammer. In fact, the two met for the first time when production began in Crema, Italy.
Guadagnino Felt Chalamet Possesses The Range To Play Teenaged Elio
Luca Guadagnino felt Timothée Chalamet possessed the same qualities seen in Elio, including precocity, vulnerability, and creative intelligence.
"I felt immediately that he had the ambition, the intelligence, the sensitivity, the naivety, and the artistry to be Elio," Guadagnino told audiences at the 55th New York Film Festival.
To Prepare For the Role, Chalamet Studied Italian
Timothée Chalamet was already fluent in French and English before being cast as Elio Perlman. Elio, though, is tri-lingual, and Chalamet studied Italian in order to prepare for the role.
Throughout Call Me By Your Name, characters switch between French, English, and Italian. Chalamet spent a lot of time in Italy before filming began in order to immerse himself in the language.
Chalamet Also Took Intensive Piano Lessons
Before Call Me By Your Name, Timothée Chalamet had been playing guitar and piano for years. In order to express Elio's unique attachment to classical music, Chalamet learned how to play new pieces for the film.
Chalamet's musical knowledge makes his performance much more honest and realistic. Chalamet taps into Elio without any pretense.
Chalamet's Contract Stipulated No Full-Frontal Nudity
James Ivory's original screenplay for Call Me By Your Name included a lot of nudity. Both Timothée Chalamet and Armie Hammer signed contracts stipulating they would not engage in full-frontal nudity, though.
Director Luca Guadagnino reworked the script to eliminate much of the nudity. He felt too many explicit scenes were not needed to tell the love story between Elio and Oliver. While some fans were disappointed by this decision to minimize the film's erotic qualities, Call Me By Your Name's queer romance evolves from Elio's excitable and more sensuous perspective.
For His Performance, Chalamet Earned Endless Praise And Multiple Award Nominations
Much of the praise for Call Me By Your Name rests on Timothée Chalamet's stellar performance. Chalamet was hailed for turning Elio's journey over the summer of 1983 in a raw, honest, unhinged cinematic journey. Without Chalamet's talent, the film would not be what it is.
For his role, Chalamet earned numerous award nominations, including a Golden Globe and an Academy Award nomination. Chalamet won a Gotham Independent Film Award and a Hollywood Film Award.
The Rumors About A Sequel To Call Me By Your Name Are True
Due to the success of the movie, Luca Guadagnino is currently developing a sequel to Call Me By Your Name. While details about the actual film are scant, Guadagnino has shared many ideas about the film with reporters.
The director hopes to set the film right after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. Both Timothée Chalamet and Armie Hammer are set to reprise their roles.