Timothée Chalamet’s viral speech proves being a ‘try hard’ is cool again

Or does no one enjoy trying too hard? People who put in extra effort are stereotyped as nerds, showdowners, and nuisances who portray the rest of us as. But it seems Timothée Chalamet’s 2025 SAG Awards acceptance speech is turning the tide online.

Timothée publicly stated his desire to be “one of the greats,” taking to the stage to accept the award for “Best Actor” for his role in “A Complete Unknown.” The actor, 29, said to the audience, “I know the most classy thing would be to minimize the effort that went into this role and how much this means to me. However, this was my life’s five and a half years. Mr. Bob Dylan, this unmatched artist, took everything I could to make it happen.

He then thanked the rest of the cast and studio before continuing: “The truth is, I’m really in the pursuit of greatness. I know people don’t usually talk like that, but I want to be one of the greats. I’m inspired by the greats”.

He then named major sports stars Michael Jordan and Michael Phelps as his main influences, along with critically acclaimed artists like Daniel Day Lewis, Marlon Brando, and Viola Davis.

Gen Z enjoyed the speech, which goes against the grain of actors who show off modesty at awards ceremonies. “Being nonchalant is so OUTTT”, one user vehemently declared to the tune of over 7000 likes. “It was so refreshing to see someone talk about ambition, drive, hard work, passion. His speech was amazing”, another wrote.

Many people enjoyed his ambitious speech for a generation that prioritizes authenticity above all else. “I LOVE this honesty. I’m so sick of phony humility, lol. Tell us why you WANT THIS. He wants to be great, that’s part of the business. And I think he truly is one of the greats already”, one user said.

Celebrities have a tendency to downplay their success over the past ten years. From Jennifer Lawrence’s cool girl act in the 2010s to Kieran Culkin’s “shocked” demeanour at his recent SAG ‘ Best Supporting Actor ‘ win – despite having won several awards last year.

As one YouTube commenter, Nathan Zed, pointed out, this may stem from the pervasiveness of social media. You can be mocked for failing online because you are less openly ambitious.

However, there is a growing trend of stars admitting to their work and publicly putting it into it more recently. Doechii, a female rapper, recently brushed off criticism for her complex performance on Stephen Colbert’s The Late Show, where she sang with her braids woven into the costumes of her backup dancers.

Michael Jordan, a US athlete, received praise last year for his viral speech, which stated “obsession will always beat talent.”

Source: Mirror