Timothée Chalamet underlined the impact of Luca Guadagnino’s “Call Me by Your Name” on his career as he received Italy’s David Award for Cinematic Excellence during the event’s 70th edition on Wednesday evening at Rome’s Cinecittá studios.
“Luca is probably the most important person in my career,” said Chalamet, who attended Italy’s top film award show with girlfriend Kylie Jenner — marking the first time they’ve walked a red carpet together despite being linked for two years — and his father Marc Chalamet. When Chalamet earned his first best actor nomination in 2017 for Guadagnino’s “Call Me” at 22, he was the third-youngest nominee ever in that category.
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“I started out as a 20-year-old kid from New York who was having a hard time breaking out in the American film industry,” Chalamet said. “My career happened overnight thanks to Luca Guadagnino and the chance he took on me playing in an Italian movie.”
“I have no familial bloodline that runs through Italy. I’m not related to anyone here, but I feel a deep connection to the cinema community here,” he added. “If I hadn’t pursued my dream of acting, I probably would have broken Francesco Totti’s scoring record,” Chalamet continued, referring to the former captain of AS Roma soccer club, of which he is an ardent fan.
“Timothée Chalamet’s European origins and American background make him one of the most unpredictable and talented protagonists of international cinema today, capable of being both an auteur performer and a star generating trends and styles,” said Piera Detassis, president and artistic director of the Academy of Italian Cinema.
Among the frontrunners for this year’s David di Donatello awards are Paolo Sorrentino‘s “Parthenope,” Andrea Segre’s “The Great Ambition,” Maura Delpero’s “Vermiglio,” and Valeria Golino’s “The Art of Joy.”
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