If you’ve spent any time online, you’ve probably encountered Timothée Chalamet in some form of meme, TikTok audio, SNL skit, movie, or TV show. With dazzling eyes and beautiful locks of dark brown hair, he’s an actor our generation will forever remember. With every role he approaches, Chalamet always puts his authentic self forward, which has resonated with the younger generation’s meme-makers. In a world where digital culture dominates our norm, it’s hard to ignore a digital footprint as large as Timothée Chalamet’s! In this article, let’s look deeper into all the ways we love to laugh at (and with) Mr. Wonka himself.
PART 1: MOVIES
Chalamet has acted in various films across all genres, including drama, romance, coming-of-age, musical, and comedy. More recently, he starred in his first biopic, A Complete Unknown. His most iconic and recognized films are Wonka, Dune, and Call Me By Your Name, which have all received special attention online for specific reasons.
Wonka – There’s chocolate, and there’s chocolate!
Wonka is often criticized for its cheesy writing and overdramatic choreography, which led to comedic publicity for the film. Chalamet’s rendition of the song “You Never Had Chocolate Like This” went viral, with the clip of him dancing atop the tables repurposed as a trending meme. That awkward musical sequence is a permanent feature of Chalamet’s career.
Dune – It’s a snooze fest.
Dune’s presence online differs from the negative publicity related to Wonka. Both films in the franchise, Dune and Dune 2, are Oscar-nominated and greatly praised online. However, all digital spaces can turn something into a meme! Users on TikTok and Twitter/X make light of Dune or its length and drawn-out, quiet scenes.
Call Me By Your Name – The peach.
Let’s be honest, whenever this movie comes to mind, it is hard not to acknowledge the unforgettable scene with the peach. Timothée Chalamet’s soul-crushing performance in Call Me By You Name granted him a 2018 Best Actor Oscar nomination, but unfortunately, the movie only walked away with Best Adapted Screenplay. Still, the scene’s strangeness and the cinematography’s beauty make it an unforgettable film!
PART 2: SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE (SNL)
Timothée has found himself, again and again, back on the stage of SNL. Now a three-time host of the show, Chalamet has built a portfolio of sketches with the SNL team that work to showcase his humour. In his most recent turn as show host on January 5th, 2025, Chalament also took the stage as a musical guest!
Tiny Horse – It’s extra tiny today.
Tiny Horse is a four-minute pre-filmed sketch that aired on Chalamet’s first appearance on SNL on December 12th, 2020. It features Chalamet as a farm boy heartbroken over losing his miniature horse. As soon as it aired, the iconic line “There he is, my tiny horse” got stuck in everyone’s brains and quickly became a trend on TikTok.
YEET SKRT – Rapping with Pete.
One of Timothée’s most significant online moments is the Rap Roundtable sketch he did with now ex-SNL cast member, Pete Davidson. The sketch was unexpected, leaned into cringe humour, and had Chalamet act as an amateur rapper. It produced comedic, meme-worthy lines like: “Hold up, drop that, skrt that” and “You never loved me, Mom, but I needed you woAoAhh.” The sketch was so iconic they brought his character back for a part two when Chalamet hosted again on November 11th, 2023.
Troye Sivan – Not just any gay guy, homie.
In Chalamet’s second hosting of the show, he took part in a skit that required him to play the gay pop icon Troye Sivan. In the sketch, Chalamet appears in a hospital due to a woman’s hazy state, dressed as Troye Sivan from his music video “Get Me Started.” The parody was so iconic that Troye Sivan himself even took to Instagram to replace his profile picture with a picture of Chalamet in the role.
PART 3: YOUTUBE RAP CAREER
When Timothée Chalamet was just a teenager, he often posted himself online. From music videos with his friends to rap competitions, Chalamet has done it all! If you wish to read more about Timothée’s strange rap career, check out this interesting read from Netflix: “A Moment of Appreciation for Timothée Chalamet’s Rap Career.”
Statistics – It’s Timmy T
No one will judge you if you have an old high school video project on YouTube, but it is hilarious when a world-famous celebrity does! Chalamet’s Statistics video shows a teenage Timmy T rapping about math in a bright red backwards cap. The video was made as a roast for his teacher, as she gave him a D on his exam. Now, the video is all over social media and has been permanently reposted on a Timothée Chalamet fan account on YouTube. In interviews and fan meet-ups, Chalamet actively acknowledges this video’s humour, further showing his genuine, comedic character.
Rising Stars 2012 – Timmy Tim
Randomly posted on YouTube by a user named John Do, Chalamet’s rap performance titled Timmy Tim is an unforgettable watch available for free. The bright pink shirt Timothée wears and his comedic dance moves make a truly stellar performance. Chalamet was seventeen at the time.
PART 4: TIK TOK TRENDS
It would feel wrong not to mention all the strange and humorous ways Timothée Chalamet has gone viral on TikTok over the years. From trending audio clips to simply meme-worthy behaviour, Chalamet has taken over the app in many different ways since its re-establishment in 2018.
It’s no use Jo – 2019 to present
Chalamet’s famous scene from Little Women has taken the internet by storm since the film’s release in 2019. Even today, TikTok users make videos to recreate Laurie’s iconic “It’s no use Jo” scene. The audio alone on TikTok has over 66.3k videos!
Playdate Edit – 2020
After the release of Call Me By Your Name, fangirls and video editors took to TikTok to create various edits of Chalamet in his role. “The Playdate edit showcases one clip: Chalamet’s character Elio seductively dancing at a party. The editing style and song of “The Playdate Edit” quickly became a trend on the app, and editors made videos of other characters/celebrities to accompany it.
Look Alike Contests – 2024
On October 27th, 2024, Chalamet surprised everyone online when he decided to attend his lookalike contest in New York City. The contest was not hosted by Chalamet but by a YouTuber named Anthony Po. The event’s success quickly became an internet meme, and more lookalike contests slowly began popping up online: Glen Powell, Jeremy Allen White, Harry Styles, etc. To read more about the contest, check out my other article, “Why Are There So Many Timothée Chalamet Lookalikes?”
Hail Supreme Leader Broski – 2024
The entirety of the 2024 A Complete Unknown press tour helped capture Timothée Chalamet as a laid-back comedian. Since he was playing Bob Dylan, a typically quiet person, Chalamet’s odd, quirky, and comedic interviews helped showcase his “theatre kid” side. He relies on his awkward self-awareness to bring humour to any situation. During this press tour, Chalamet’’s interview with podcaster and YouTuber Brittany Broski especially went viral. While on his knees, Chalamet declared, “Hail, supreme leader Broski,”
Overall:
In the few years Chalament has been acting, the internet has made him a meme, icon, and trend time and time again. Younger generations are drawn to his comedic energy because he represents their youthful humour, self-awareness, and ability to have fun during interviews and press tours! He has broken our hearts with his soul-crushing acting and has made us laugh with genuine character.
Do you think Chalamet is the meme-lord of our generation? Or do you think all modern celebrities have a digital footprint this big? Here at Her Campus UVIC, we just love Timmy Tim for the idol he is!