Long live the King: an interview with Timothée Chalamet We met the actor along with director Joel Edgerton following the release of their latest movie

Timothée Chalamet has taken the world by storm since he arrived on our screens in the shoes of the young Elio with Call Me By Your Name. Instantly, the young actor has been catapulted to the highest peaks of the international stardom. His fame has expanded not only in the world of cinema but also in that of fashion and music. He immediately became the darling of Virgil Abloh's Louis Vuitton, launched his first and acclaimed Netflix film, The King, and recent photos have seen him rubbing shoulders with Kanye West and Kim Kardashian at the birthday of the mutual friend Kid Cudi. At the Kid Cudi concert, held at ComplexCon last Saturday, Chalamet read these words before the artist came on stage along with Pusha T on the notes of Feel the Love: “We live in a world where it's more okay to follow than to lead. In this world being a leader is trouble for the system we are all accustomed to”.

Between increasingly frequent appearances on the screen and in tabloids (for his loves with daughters of celebrities such as Lourdes Ciccone, daughter of Madonna, or lately Lily-Rose Depp, daughter of Johnny and Vanessa Paradis), in the last two years young Timmy has not stopped for a second. So, after making us fall in love as young Elio, stunning us with his outfits on the red carpet, making us cry in Beautiful Boy alongside Steve Carrell and announcing, at just 23 years old, his first break from acting, young Chalamet is back on screens around the world with his first costume film (the second, Greta Gerwig's Little Women, will be released in theatres at Christmas): David Michod's The King, on Netflix from November 1st.

Co-written by the director himself and Joel Edgerton, actor (among the protagonists of the second trilogy of Star Wars and hits such as Zero Dark Thirty, The Great Gatsby by Baz Luhrmann, Loving by Jeff Nichols) and recently director of Boy Erased – Lives erased (with Lucas Hedges, Nicole Kidman, Russell Crowe and Xavier Dolan), The King, inspired by William Shakespeare's Henry V, is the "coming-of-age novel" of the young and rebellious Prince Henry V (Chalamet) who, following the death of his father, must abruptly take on the role of King of England.

You’re two of the biggest stars in our industry and in cinemas. What is the meaning of being a star and its purpose?

Joel Edgerton: [looking up to the roof] Wow…

Timothée Chalamet: [laughing and looking at Joel]

Joel Edgerton: You know, I’ve never really… Ok. I’ve always seen myself as an actor, as a writer and as a director. I’ve always seen myself as a blue-collar worker for films. But that’s the way I feel, I want my hands dirty, I’m always trying to make something and to get something in the shape… I’ve always wanted to be Gene Hackman, I never saw myself as Tom Cruise, you know what I mean? And I think it’s quite evident… but to be a character and to jump all over the places … as a filmmaker I’m really interested in not telling the same story in the same way as I’m not interested in displaying the same character over and over again. My responsibility is more to myself: is to find something that has nutrition of value that hopefully is entertaining as well – and I just have to fall in love with the story before I’m willing to get involved as an actor or as a filmmaker. I’m just looking for this thing that pulls me into it – and I try to cut my ego out of the result – that’s the struggle. But I want to hear him next! [pointing to Timothée]

Timothée Chalamet: It’s a responsibility. I feel gratitude for the ability – hopefully – to work on projects that are dramatic and that are challenging both to do, to us and to the audience as well – in a way where you have to work to pull off a meaning. My favourite kinds of movie are the ones where you’re pulled in and you’re suspicious and ultimately you’ve helped the movie make that leap, you know?

Thank you very much, and congratulations. But a special thank you to you, Timothée, because thanks to you yesterday night I’ve been able to see Kid Cudi.

Timothée Chalamet: Are you a fan?

A huge fan!

Timothée Chalamet: Wow, me too!

I know, Timothée, I know…