In a revealing new cover story for Vogue, actor Timothée Chalamet, 29, candidly discussed his feelings of disappointment regarding award losses. Despite his burgeoning career, Chalamet has faced significant setbacks on the awards circuit, accumulating two Oscar nominations, four Golden Globe nominations, and four BAFTA Award nominations without securing a win in those categories. His recent success, however, includes taking home the SAG Award for best actor in February for his critically acclaimed performance as Bob Dylan in “A Complete Unknown.” This win was closely followed by Adrien Brody’s victory over him for the Best Actor Oscar for “The Brutalist,” highlighting the competitive nature of the industry.

Chalamet openly shared the emotional toll of losing, challenging the notion that actors are unaffected. “If there’s five people at an awards show, and four people go home losing, you don’t think those four people are at the restaurant like, ‘Damn, we didn’t win?'” he questioned, adding, “I’ve been around some deeply generous, no-ego actors, and maybe some of them are going, ‘That was fun.’ But I know for a fact a lot of them are going, ‘Fuck!’ ” He acknowledged that some might label him a “try-hard” for caring so much, but he stands firm in his dedication: “People can call me a try-hard, and they can say whatever the fuck,” Chalamet asserted. “But I’m the one actually doing it here.” This sentiment echoes his previous comments to SiriusXM, where he described going home empty-handed as “uniquely hilarious” and admitted to tearing up prepared speeches, calling himself a “narcissistic arrogant prick” for his anticipatory arrogance.

A significant shift in Chalamet’s approach to his public persona was also detailed in the Vogue piece. While he once admired actors who maintained an air of mystery by avoiding excessive press, he has now embraced a more forthcoming and unconventional publicity strategy. For instance, during the promotion of “A Complete Unknown,” he engaged with manosphere podcast hosts and YouTube stars, and even attended his own look-alike contest. This new direction signals his disinterest in creating “prestige films for a vanishing population,” aiming instead for broader reach and engagement.

His latest film, “Marty Supreme,” set to be released by A24 this Christmas, has already seen the actor deploy innovative promotional tactics. The press tour kicked off with viral videos featuring men in giant ping pong helmets acting as mascots, who notably accompanied Chalamet to a surprise screening of the film in New York City. This bold new stance aligns with his SAG Award acceptance speech, where he declared his “pursuit of greatness.” Chalamet is no longer shy about expressing his ambition or the care he puts into his work. He explained his rationale: “You don’t want to risk being too declarative,” he told Vogue. “But I also don’t want to look back on life and things I’ve put out and go, ‘Oh, little old me. Hey, see the movie if you want. It is what it is.’ No. At worst, you’ve rubbed people the wrong way. And at best, someone will get pulled in and go, ‘Hey, this guy really thinks this thing’s worthy.’ ”

With Oscar buzz already surrounding his performance in “Marty Supreme,” and Variety positioning him as a best actor frontrunner, Chalamet is likely to become a familiar face at upcoming awards ceremonies. Beyond his awards prospects, his future slate includes developing a motocross movie titled “High Side” with “A Complete Unknown” director James Mangold, and continuing his work on “Dune: Part Three” with Denis Villeneuve. However, one avenue Chalamet has firmly closed off is a return to television. Despite beginning his acting career on Showtime’s “Homeland,” he has consistently avoided TV projects, unlike many of his A-list contemporaries who have embraced buzzy limited series. When asked about making another TV show, Chalamet’s response was an unequivocal “No.” Readers can find the full cover story on Vogue’s website.