Timothée Chalamet's Mom Reflects on His Stint as a 'Rap Artist' in High School (Exclusive)
Timothée Chalamet's Mom Reflects on His Stint as a 'Rap Artist' in High School (Exclusive)
Kimberlee Speakman, Katie HillFri, May 22, 2026 at 11:00 AM UTC
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Timothée Chalamet as Lil Timmy Tim in high school ; Timothée Chalamet promoting 'Dune: Part Three' at CinemaCon on April 14, 2026
Credit: Chris Delmas / AFP
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Timothée Chalamet’s mom, Nicole Flender, reflected on his high school rap persona, "Lil Timmy Tim," at the American Ballet Theatre Spring Gala on May 20
The Oscar-nominated actor went by the nickname when performing rap as a student at LaGuardia High School
Flender said in a previous interview that "everybody loved" the alter ego and praised her son’s individuality
Timothée Chalamet's mom Nicole Flender knows all about her son’s rap era.
Flender, 68, mentioned “Lil Timmy Tim” — Chalamet's, 30, rap persona while he was in high school— during an interview with PEOPLE at the American Ballet Theatre's Spring Gala on Wednesday, May 20.
While chatting about her son’s high school pursuits, she said, “You know, he was a rap artist at a high school so he did his own thing.”
The actor’s alter ego, Lil Timmy Tim, stems from a viral video from 2012 that shows the actor rapping an original song before transitioning into Nicki Minaj's "Roman Revenge" at an event at his alma mater, New York's LaGuardia High School.
Timothée Chalamet poses alongside his mom, Nicole Flender, at The 31st Screen Actors Guild Awards.
Credit: John Salangsang/Shutterstock for Audi
Flender even praised her son for his rap moment in an interview with Business Insiderin May 2025, saying of the persona, "Everybody loved it.”
Chalamet may have shed his rap persona post-high school, but he has flexed his skills since, including in multiple Saturday Night Live skits and, most recently, reprising the alter ego in a remix of the song "4Raws," with EsDeeKid to promote his 2025 Oscar-nominated movie Marty Supreme.
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Flender noted at the ABT Spring Gala that the Dune star marches to his own beat when it comes to anything he does in life.
“Timmy didn't take ballet classes. My daughter did ... But Timmy did his own dancing,” she said.
Timothée Chalamet, Nicole Flender, Marc Chalamet and Pauline Chalamet on March 4, 2018.
Credit: Matt Baron/Shutterstock
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Flender, who has shared her support for her son over the years, celebrated Chalamet's Critics' Choice win for Best Actor for his role in Marty Supreme in January. She shared a clip of the moment alongside the caption, “My son just won the Critics Choice Award for best actor!!”
The actress previously described herself as a cheerleader rather than a “momager” in her children’s careers, according to Business Insider. However, one thing is clear: whether or not they make achievements in their careers, "all I want is for them to be happy," she told the outlet.
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