oscars 2026 Awards Conan O’Brien shades Timothée Chalamet for ballet and opera diss at Oscars 2026 — and the actor reacts By Eric Todisco Published March 15, 2026, 7:20 p.m. ET Conan O’Brien took a shot at Timothée Chalamet for his viral ballet and opera diss at the Oscars 2026.
“Security is extremely tight tonight. I just gotta mention that. I’m told there’s concerns from attacks from both the opera and ballet communities,” O’Brien said during his opening monologue.
As the audience gasped and cheered, the camera cut to Chalamet, 30, laughing while sitting beside girlfriend Kylie Jenner.
“They’re just mad you left out jazz,” O’Brien, 62, also quipped.
Chalamet and Jenner, 28, both kept smiling in response.
Chalamet — who is nominated for Best Actor for his role in “Marty Supreme” — sparked backlash for dissing ballet and opera during a town hall with Matthew McConaughey that aired on CNN on Feb. 21.
After explaining it’s important to keep movie theaters going, he noted that he didn’t “want to be working in ballet or opera 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’m taking shots for no reason,” Chalamet added.
His comments were slammed immediately by the The Royal Ballet and Opera, who said in a statement to the Hollywood Reporter that “ballet and opera have never existed in isolation.”
Ballet prodigy Misty Copeland clapped back at Chalamet and said he “wouldn’t be an actor” if it wasn’t for opera and ballet.
The women of “The View” weighed in on the drama too, with Sonny Hostin calling Chalamet “vapid” and “shallow,” while Whoopi Goldberg said that the young actor should “be careful.”
Chalamet was also mocked on “Jeopardy!” and “Saturday Night Live” for the ballet and opera diss.
O’Brien hosted the Oscars for the first time last year.
The March 2, 2025 show attracted the Oscars’ biggest broadcast audience in five years, with an estimated 19.7 million viewers tuning in, ABC said at the time.
In a Hollywood Reporter story published last week, O’Brien explained his mindset behind emceeing the show again.
“There’s a little bearded Viking inside me,” he said. “He’s been there since I was 10 years old. And when that Viking decides on something — whether it’s replacing David Letterman with no experience, skiing some advanced slope I have no business going down or hosting the Oscars, that’s what’s going to happen.”
He also gave a sarcastic response when asked what his biggest goal for Oscars night is.
“My main goal is to entertain as the Oscar host,” he told THR. “But there’s another thing I need to provide as well, which is empathy.”
“I spend a lot of time backstage consoling people who have lost,” the comedian continued. “People don’t see that part. In the commercial breaks, I am telling people they are better off without an Oscar. The Oscar will ruin their career, has it has for so many. “
O’Brien added, “It’s not true. They really should’ve won. No one wants to hang out with the loser. I think that’s my biggest role is the consoler. That’s what I do. So the jokes are just part of it.”
