Timothée Chalamet, the talented star of Dune and Call Me by Your Name, is no stranger to emotionally charged roles. His performance in Felix Van Groeningen’s critically acclaimed Beautiful Boy left audiences heartbroken, as he portrayed Nic Sheff, a young man struggling with addiction. Yet, behind the intense emotional scenes, Chalamet found an unexpected source of levity: his love for Steve Carell’s legendary sitcom, The Office.
In a recent interview, Chalamet opened up about how his admiration for Carell’s work on The Office played a surprising role in making the production a lighter experience for everyone involved.
A Fanboy Moment: Timothée Chalamet Meets Steve Carell
They say you should never meet your heroes, but Timothée Chalamet might disagree. For him, working with Steve Carell on Beautiful Boy was a dream come true. Carell, known for his portrayal of the bumbling but lovable Michael Scott in The Office, brought not only gravitas to his role as David Sheff, Nic’s father, but also a connection to one of Chalamet’s all-time favorite shows.
Chalamet didn’t hold back when discussing his love for The Office, sharing how it served as his comedic escape during his teenage years.
“I think I didn’t want to scare Steve away,” he joked, recalling how he first discovered the show on Xbox Live. “My dad would be kind of amazed that on my video game console, I could just pull up Netflix… I’m talking when I was 13, 14, 15.”
While Chalamet was thrilled to work with Carell, he also admitted that his deep admiration for The Office made him tread carefully. After all, the last thing he wanted was to overwhelm his co-star with his fanboy enthusiasm.
Light Amid Darkness: Finding Joy on a Tough Set
Beautiful Boy is a film steeped in raw emotion, chronicling the harrowing journey of a father and son as they grapple with the devastating impact of addiction. For Chalamet and Carell, diving into such heavy material required moments of levity to balance the darkness. That’s where The Office came in.
“[The Office] served as an escapism for us,” Chalamet shared.
Even Carell, whose portrayal of Michael Scott is etched into television history, found himself revisiting the beloved sitcom while working on the movie. The actors bonded over the show, using its humor as a way to decompress after intense scenes.
A Full-Circle Moment: Amy Ryan Joins the Cast
As if working with Steve Carell wasn’t enough to thrill The Office superfan, Chalamet found himself sharing the set with another sitcom alum: Amy Ryan. Fans of the series will remember Ryan as Holly Flax, Michael Scott’s quirky soulmate. In Beautiful Boy, Ryan plays Vicki Sheff, Carell’s on-screen wife.
For Chalamet, this was the icing on the cake.
“It was so cool to hear Amy and Steve discussing, ‘Do you feel there’s a new generation of people tapping into The Office?’ and I’m like pulling my hair out of my head,” he said.
The actor even brought up a younger fan of the show—the producer’s 10-year-old daughter—to emphasize its lasting appeal.
The Office’s Evergreen Legacy
The conversation between Carell, Ryan, and Chalamet underscores the timeless nature of The Office. While Ryan and Carell marveled at the sitcom’s ability to captivate new generations, Chalamet took the opportunity to gush about its enduring brilliance. Whether it was revisiting iconic moments or laughing about the show’s legacy, the sitcom provided a much-needed reprieve during the emotionally taxing shoot.
For Chalamet, the experience of working with his The Office idols felt like stepping into a surreal dream. But more than that, it became a testament to the power of humor in navigating life’s most challenging moments.
Timothée Chalamet’s collaboration with Steve Carell in Beautiful Boy brought more than just compelling performances to the screen—it highlighted the importance of finding joy in unexpected places. For Chalamet, that joy came in the form of his unwavering love for The Office, which not only helped him bond with Carell but also brought a much-needed sense of fun to an otherwise heavy production.
As Beautiful Boy continues to resonate with audiences, fans of both the film and The Office can appreciate the unique way these two worlds collided. Chalamet’s passion for the sitcom, coupled with his heartfelt performance, only adds to his growing reputation as one of Hollywood’s most compelling and relatable stars.