Timothée Chalamet felt he had to star in ‘Bones and All’ to prove it wasn’t inspired by Armie Hammer’s cannibalistic sex fantasy scandal.
The 27-year-old was involved in pre-production to play a human meat scavenger in the 2022 horror drama when reports emerged that his ‘Call Me by Your Name’ co-star Hammer, 37, had been accused by several women of sharing sexual fantasies in which he represented himself as a cannibal.
Chalamet told the November issue of GQ about the scandal: “Disorienting is a good word… I mean, what were the chances that we’re developing this thing?”
The ‘Dune’ star, who played a flesh-addicted “eater” in ‘Bones and All’, added about false reports that suggested the film was inspired by the news about Hammer: “It made me feel like, ‘Now I’ve really got to do this… because this is actually based on a book.’”
Chalamet, who is dating reality TV’s Kylie Jenner, 26, said despite his astounding level of fame and success, he still looks at the social media of friends who have settled down and wonders how long he has to “change” his life.
He said: “You start going on Instagram, seeing people from your high school getting married, friends having kids, and you start going: This b****-to-the-wall thing, even at this amazing level I’m at that probably couldn’t have gone better – you still start wondering, How long till you have to change?”
He added about social media and fame: “I can’t say that this stuff doesn’t matter, because my intense fandom has led me to where I am.”
Chalamet also told how he received an inspiring email from Tom Cruise, 61, about how to survive in Hollywood.
He said: “After I met Tom Cruise, right after finishing the first ‘Dune’, he sent me the most wonderfully inspiring email.”
It included a directory-style list of all the experts he might need for stunt training, including a motorcycle and helicopter coach.
Chalamet added: “He basically said, in Old Hollywood, you would be getting dance training and fight training, and nobody is going to hold you to that standard today. So it’s up to you. The email was really like a war cry.”
Read the full ‘Timothée Chalamet goes Electric feature by Daniel Riley in GQ’s November issue and on GQ.com.