Timothee Chalamet the butt of Oscar jokes after ‘no one cares’ for opera and ballet comments

Host of the 98th Academy Awards, Conan O'Brien, took a swipe at Timothee Chalamet's recent comment that "nobody cares" about opera and ballet during the ceremony

Timothee Chalamet arrives at the Oscars on Sunday. Picture: Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP.

Host of the 98th Academy Awards, Conan O'Brien, entertained Hollywood stars in attendance on Sunday night, as well as the millions of people watching around the globe, with a series of gags.

"I'm honoured to be the last human host of the Academy Awards," he joked after walking on stage.

O'Brien, who was returning for a second year, said: "Last year, when I hosted, Los Angeles was on fire. This year, everything is going great.” 

He followed up with a swipe at Timothee Chalamet's recent comment that "nobody cares" about opera and ballet, as he joked: "I should tell you, security is tight tonight, I'm told there are concerns about attacks from both the opera and ballet communities.

Kylie Jenner and Timothee Chalamet at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party held at Los Angeles County Museum of Art in Beverly Hills. Picture: Doug Peters/PA Wire.

"They're just mad you left out jazz."

The actor faced backlash on social media after he said he did not want to be working in opera or ballet as “no one cares” about them.

The 30-year-old Marty Supreme star was speaking to fellow actor Matthew McConaughey about the future of cinema in an interview for US outlet Variety when he made the comments.

“I admire people, and I’ve done it myself, doing a talk show about, how we’ve got to keep movie theatres alive, you know, we got to keep this genre alive,” Chalamet said.

“And another part of me feels like, if people want to see it, like Barbie, like Oppenheimer, they’re going to go see it and go out of their way to be loud and proud about it.

“And I don’t want to be working in ballet or opera or, you know, things where it’s like, ‘hey, keep this thing alive’, even though no one cares about this anymore.

“All respect to the ballet and opera people out there, I just lost 14 cents in viewership, I just took shots for no reason.” McConaughey added: “That’s not a shot, I hear what you’re saying.”

The comments prompted criticism on social media from those in the two industries, including US opera singer Isabel Leonard, and Sister Act star Whoopi Goldberg.

On Sunday night, O'Brien opted to make Chalamet the butt of his joke later in the ceremony once again.

Standing alongside a sculpted bottom, he beat a set of drumsticks against it and introduced it as his "bum drum" - a play on a scene from the actor's film Marty Supreme.

He also joked about the scene in Hamnet where best actress winner Jessie Buckley - who plays William Shakespeare's wife - gives birth.

"William Shakespeare's wife, Agnes, gives birth by herself in the woods. Or as we call that here in America - affordable health care," he quipped.

Kylie Jenner, left, and Timothee Chalamet, right, greet Elle Fanning in the audience before the Oscars on Sunday. Picture: AP Photo/Chris Pizzello.

Turning his attention to best actress nominee Rose Byrne, O'Brien told the audience: "I was in a movie this year. Yeah, I was in a movie with the lovely Rose Byrne.

"It's hard to act in a scene with someone you've always had a massive crush on for years. Rose, you did a fantastic job, admirable restraint."

He also poked fun at the recent Brad Pitt film about motor racing, F1, which was up for several awards.

"F1 did so well, they're making a sequel - Caps Lock," he joked.