environment and climate | January 18, 2026

How Did Timothée Chalamet Lose Weight For Beautiful Boy? – Celebrity

He shed 20 pounds from his already-slim frame to play Nic Sheff in the throes of his methamphetamine addiction, and Chalamet was committed, as he said, to getting Sheff’s story right.

(Chalamet’s plea bargain, “Well, I am skinny sir.”) So he hollowed out his cheeks with a strict diet of what he described as “the protein goo” from post-apocalyptic thriller Snowpiercer. Lithe actors losing even more weight for a role is nothing new.

Several times in their in-depth conversation, Chalamet refers to what’s happened “after March,” a.k.a. the Oscars, when the yearlong press tour for Call Me by Your Name ended and he returned, he thought, to normal life.

How much weight did Timothée Chalamet shed in Beautiful Boy?

Timothée Chalamet doesn’t want too much credit for the huge physical change he went through for his new film, Beautiful Boy. He shed 20 pounds from his already-slim frame to play Nic Sheff in the throes of his methamphetamine addiction, and Chalamet was committed, as he said, to getting Sheff’s story right. But “I never want to say that losing 20 …

In Beautiful Boy, which is Chalamet’s first major release since his massive breakout performance in Call Me by Your Name, the 22-year-old Oscar nominee stars opposite Steve Carell, who plays Nic’s father, David. Chalamet insists he’s still a “fan first and foremost,” and having grown up watching Carell in Bruce Almighty and later The Office, he got a particular thrill of working with both Carell and Amy Ryan —or, as he puts it, “Michael and Holly on The Office. ” In this conversation with Vanity Fair ’s executive West Coast editor, Krista Smith, you can watch him expertly rattle off the Instagram memes that prove The Office ’s staying power with younger generations, himself included.

How much weight did Chalamet lose in Beautiful Boy?

Going deep on Beautiful Boy, the addiction film that caused Chalamet to lose 18 pounds. Photograph by Tim Walker; Styled by Sara Moonves. In the words of Timothée Chalamet, he auditioned for Beautiful Boy “many, many, many times.”. The first time was in December of 2016, then just fresh off shooting Call Me By Your Name, …

Timothée Chalamet wears a Boglioli sweater and his own necklaces.

For Chalamet, navigating Nic’s ongoing addiction over years of his young life was a meaty, at times heartbreaking role. To prepare, Chalamet met with many recovering addicts to learn more about the very real crisis happening in the world today; he also met with Sheff to discuss his own experiences.

Kiki Layne wears a Prada top and headband; Tiffany & Co. earrings. Jonah Hill wears The Row jacket, shirt, and tie.

Chalamet stars alongside Steve Carrell, who portrays Nic’s father, David Sheff, the author of Beautiful Boy: A Father’s Journey Through His Son’s Addiction and Tweak: Growing Up on Methamphetamines (cowritten with Nick), the books upon which the film is based.

The movies based on two books, Beautiful Boy and Tweak. One’s by David Sheff, who’s the father in this story, and other is by Nic Sheff, who’s the son and was addicted to methamphetamine. I auditioned many, many, many times. I auditioned for the first time in December [2016], and there was a call back process through January and February.

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Mahershala Ali wears a Prada suit; his own top and bracelet. Amy Adams wears a Givenchy dress and belt.

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