Topics: Entertainment, Film and TV, Timothee Chalamet , Matthew McConaughey, Christopher Nolan
Timothée Chalamet has opened up about some of the best advice he's received as an actor alongside an example of the people to 'beware' of.
In a town hall with Variety and CNN, Chalamet sat down with none other than Matthew McConaughey.
The pair discussed their experiences of the film and TV industry, alongside sharing some of the best advice they've received as well as the worst.
Chalamet and McConaughey starred alongside each other on Christopher Nolan's Interstellar (2014), McConaughey playing the role of Joseph Cooper and Chalamet his son, Tom.
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Chalamet was just 17 years old when he took on the role and learnt a lot from watching his co-star work.
Recalling one particular moment, Chalamet revealed McConaughey asked him how a tractor worked, to which he admitted he had 'no clue'.
His co-star swiftly told him he 'should know,' insisting further when met by a laugh from Chalamet.
The exchange prompted Chalamet to go home and 'pint a bunch of research' into tractors, showing up the next day at McConaughey's trailer door 'proud to show it'.
However, Chalamet has also received some 'advice' which wasn't so useful.
Chalamet detailed: "I always said, 'Beware of the people in life that get more of the advice they give you than you get at the advice.' They’re thrilled by the act of giving you advice. All of a sudden you can’t listen to what they’re saying anymore because they’re flexing on you so hard.
"[...] I had an actor do that to me once. No names, but the guy was a punk. He asked me what conservatory I had gone to, and I said I didn’t go to an acting conservatory.
"And he said, 'Well, you haven’t trained as an actor then.' And we were all part of an ensemble."
Chalamet thanked McConaughey and attributed him for being a 'huge' inspiration, adding it 'mean[t] a lot' to be able to turn up at his trailer with his tractor research.
"As an actor, all you risk is looking foolish, because it’s a tremendously foolish job. If you can embrace that foolishness, nothing can stop you," Chalamet added. "You’re on a powerful light source, man, if you can embrace the clown in all this."
McConaughey echoed it's 'not about being right' when it comes to the 'creative arts' and that being right 'too often' simply shows 'you're not taking enough risk'.
Apt advice not just for acting, but for life, he resolved: "Don’t be afraid of the foolishness. Don’t be afraid of going, “I have no idea. Should I know about that? I didn’t know I should know about that."
