Timothée Chalamet, the Oscar-nominated star of Dune, has attributed his meteoric rise in Hollywood to an unusual source: being “knighted” by rapper Lil B. In a recent interview with YouTuber Nardwuar, the actor recounted the pivotal moment when, as a 16-year-old, he was called on stage during a Lil B performance in 2012.
“I met him at NYU,” Chalamet shared. “I had $50 from a commercial I did, and I bribed a kid for his ticket. I was in there alone, front row to the right. I raised my hand, got called up, and told him I wanted to ask out my crush. He invited me on stage, knighted me, and said, ‘That boy’s hand has been blessed.’ From there, my acting career took off. Thank you, Basedgod.”
While the story might sound bizarre, Chalamet insists it’s no coincidence. “I was struggling before that,” he noted. “And then I was Oscar-nominated by the time I was 22. Shoutout to Lil B; nothing is possible without Lil B. Pray to the Basedgod.”
Chalamet has long been a fan of Lil B, citing the rapper’s fearless approach to music as a major inspiration. “Lil B is such a formative artist for me,” he explained. “He dropped an album called I’m Gay (I’m Happy), and the rollout was so ambiguous. I loved how he just did whatever he wanted—it was so cool and inspiring at the time.”
In a humorous twist, Chalamet revealed that Tyler, The Creator could apparently “sense” Lil B’s blessing when they worked together on the set of the upcoming A24 film Marty Supreme. “I told Tyler about it, and he said he could feel my aura—that it was the aura of someone knighted by Lil B,” Chalamet laughed.
For his part, Lil B remembered the event fondly. After hearing Chalamet’s story, the rapper shared the clip on social media, writing, “LEGACY AND LOVE! – Lil B.”
It seems the Call Me by Your Name star’s journey to Hollywood success is a testament to the Basedgod’s influence—at least in Chalamet’s eyes.
