Every few years, Hollywood finds a new target for its obsession, and these days it’s Timothée Chalamet.
The Dune star is everywhere. He’s cropping up in massive franchises left and right, as treasured favorites are reimagined with fresh technology and Chalamet’s distinctly fresh face. To my ancient eyes, the man looks absolutely adolescent, and his recent spate of film roles have leaned into that. He’s not playing a teen in any of his recent blockbusters, but he certainly could be, with that baby face.
When news of Chalamet’s relationship with Kylie Jenner broke, a number of the actor’s fans found themselves confused. They, like me, assumed the star was barely into his 20s, and thus far too young to be shacking up with the mother of two. As it turns out, however, Chalamet is quite a bit older than many of his viewers assumed — in fact, he’s more than a full year older than his current girlfriend.
Timothée Chalamet is older than he appears
It’s quite common for Hollywood to flock to youthful-looking actors, as they can portray a broader range of characters over a longer length of time. Chalamet is far from the first baby-faced actor to make it big — just look at his 20-something competition, in the form of Tom Holland, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, or Hailee Steinfeld for proof. They follow the last generation of perpetually young actors into a new decade of releases, after which sprightly newcomers will see them replaced once again. It’s a cycle in Hollywood, and one we’re well used to by this point.
The fixation on youth in Hollywood tends to warp the minds of we regular humans who age at a normal rate, which leaves us with false impressions regarding age. Chalamet may look young, but he’s actually 27 — almost 28. He rings in 28 just after the Christmas holiday, on December 27, at which point he’ll be almost two years older than Jenner.
She rang in 26 earlier in 2023, and won’t officially turn 27 until next August. Chalamet, meanwhile, is inching closer to 30 than 25, but still playing characters barely out of their teens.