Many eagle-eyed users started picking apart Timothée Chalamet’s reaction to losing out on the Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role, especially after his confident remarks over the last few months.
As Adrien Brody, last year’s winner, announced Michael B. Jordan’s name, Chalamet immediately clapped, with a big smile on his face.
Highlights
- A body language expert broke down Timothée Chalamet’s real-time reaction to Michael B. Jordan winning the Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role.
- Many believed Chalamet was putting up a fake reaction, despite him clapping and smiling from his seat.
- Kylie Jenner could partially be blamed for Chalamet’s misfortune at the 2026 Academy Awards, according to an insider.
As the clip of the actor's reaction went viral, body language experts chimed in, revealing what the actor, and his girlfriend Kylie Jenner, were truly feeling."
“That little pause from Timothée Chalamet after Michael B. Jordan was announced said everything,” one viewer commented about the video.
A body language expert deciphered Timothée Chalamet and Kylie Jenner’s reactions to Michael B. Jordan’s winning Best Actor
Image credits: Getty/Mike Coppola
Chalamet, who was nominated for his titular role in Josh Safdie’s table tennis drama Marty Supreme, was beaten by Michael B. Jordan’s performance as the Smoke and Stack twins in Ryan Coogler’s Sinners.
The other nominees were Leonardo DiCaprio, Ethan Hawke, and Wagner Moura.
Image credits: Getty/Kevin Winter
Darren Stanton, a body language expert, broke down his reaction and claimed that Chalamet was nothing but “genuinely happy” for the Creed actor’s achievement.
“Timothée Chalamet was genuinely happy for Michael,” Stanton told Covers. “Sometimes we see microexpressions of sadness or disappointment from another nominee, but he seemed genuinely pleased at the moment it was announced.”
Image credits: Getty/Kevin Winter
“There was a brief close-up of Timothée and Kylie Jenner as Michael walked on stage, and there was definitely genuine happiness from the Marty Supreme star,” the expert continued. “He knows it’s all part of the game - win or lose. He didn’t flash any animosity, anger, or jealousy.”
However, Jenner, who had accompanied Chalamet throughout the award season, was more visibly disheartened about her boyfriend losing out on the Oscar.
Image credits: TheAcademy
“When it came to Kylie, she wasn’t flashing any negative emotions, like anger or contempt, either,” Stanton said. “From her facial expressions, she just seemed disappointed for Timothée, even though he didn’t appear to be upset in any sense.”
“Overall, from a non-verbal point of view, there was no contempt at all, and her expressions towards Michael’s win were genuine,” he added. “It was just clear she was there to support Timothée and wanted to see him do well.”
Timothée Chalamet hid his emotions well at the Oscars snub, said another expert
Another body language expert, Dr. Beth Dawson, told Metro that Chalamet’s expression was one of “genuine disappointment” despite his clapping and smiling.
“Actors are notoriously good at hiding their emotions,” she said. “Their job is to perform for the cameras, and Timothée Chalamet is no exception.
Image credits: spider_curly
“He blinks once and looks down—that is a flash of genuine disappointment. His response is also quite subdued and restrained; even though he smiles and claps, he maintains composure.”
However, a “quiver of the bottom lip” gave away the “sadness” that Chalamet was trying to contain, she claimed.
“As he claps, his mouth opens just a little and again he’s performing the polite signals of congratulations while managing his emotions of sadness and disappointment,” Dr. Dawson explained.
Image credits: TheAcademy
Moreover, Chalamet’s body language from moments before the announcement allegedly shows that he was not expecting to win after all.
“You can also see his mouth pressed together, showing tension, and his chin slightly lowered, suggesting he may already be managing his expectations,” she said about Chalamet’s posture as Brody was getting ready to read out the name.
“This shows us that he is tense but also that he is not expecting to win.”
Timothée Chalamet jeopardized his Oscar chances himself, according to an Academy insider
Image credits: angrycarrick
Chalamet has found himself on the wrong side of the media’s attention in recent months.
Even before he made the controversial remark on not caring about opera and ballet, his “arrogance” throughout the Marty Supreme press tour earned him the ire of netizens.
In December 2025, Chalamet said he knew “what it’s going to be by next summer,” which many took as a sign he expected to win the Oscar. It did not sit well with the viewers, who called him “desperate,” “annoying,” and “arrogant.”
Image credits: A24
At last year’s Screen Actors Guild Awards in February 2025, Chalamet ended his speech with the confession that he aspired to be “one of the greats” in the industry, which also irked many fans.
An anonymous Academy insider told The US Sun days before the 2026 Oscars that Chalamet’s “antics” would cost him the award he coveted.
“I’ve been a member of the Academy for 12 years, and I’ve never seen someone throw away their chances of winning as brazenly as Timothée,” the source said on March 11.
Image credits: Getty/Dia Dipasupil
“It’s not just a few people talking about it. Most of the voters are hyper-aware of his antics, which is never a good thing,” they added. “You don’t want people talking about you during awards season for anything other than your performance.”
Chalamet has “rubbed people the wrong way” with his actions and made a “mockery” of the arts, whether or not he intended to do so, the insider claimed.
Image credits: Getty/Neilson Barnard
His relationship with Jenner could also be a factor in Chalamet losing out on the Oscar, the source further added.
“It does shift the narrative when a leading Oscar nominee brings a Kardashian as their date,” the insider said. “Many people have preconceived notions of what that means.”
The source in question was among those on the panel who voted for Jordan, and said he’d be “proud” if the Black Panther star won the award.
"Brutal." Netizens argued about the reaction on social media
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