Timothée Chalamet surprises students at his New York high school

Actor Timothée Chalamet took students at his high school by surprise when he dropped in on one of their classes recently. The New York City-based Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, from which Chalamet graduated in 2013, took to Instagram to share snapshots from their famous alumni’s visit.

Alongside images of Chalamet speaking, posing with the students and his high school teachers, the Drama department of LaGuardia High School wrote,

“When you have a guest speaker for your Career Management class……. and Timothee Chalamet walks in the room…. you know it’s going to be a great day! Thank you @tchalamet for visiting LaG today and providing important advice for our aspiring actors. Thank you to Harry Shifman, Sandy Faison and Kim Bruno, Timothee’s former teachers and principal for joining us!”

The famous high school has been known to produce graduates who have charted great heights in the entertainment industry. According to Vanity Fair, other notable alumni of the school include Jennifer Aniston, Sarah Paulson, Nicki Minaj, and Ansel Elgort.

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The impact of Timothée Chalamet’s high school education on his acting career

It is not just LaGuardia High School that feels proud to boast of a graduate such as the twice Oscar-nominated Timothée Chalamet. Chalamet himself, on more than one occasion, has recognised his debt to the performing arts school.

During a conversation with Anderson Cooper for 60 Minutes, Chalamet shared the formative impact that the LaGuardia High School had on his career. He said,

"[LaGuardia] was a fantastic place for me to go. It totally shaped who I am and who I was… I just felt like I could be however I wanted to be.”

Speaking about his drama teacher, Harry Shifman, with whom Chalamet is still in touch, the young actor said,

“I said that to Shif…'If I would have had to go to a different high school, I wouldn't have been an actor.’ He said, 'Oh, you would have found your way to it.' I really don't know.”

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Timothée Chalamet almost did not get into LaGuardia High School

Harry Shifman himself, in an earlier interview with Vanity Fair, spoke about the talent with which Chalamet auditioned to gain entry to the prestigious high school. The drama teacher said,

“I auditioned Timmy to get into this school. He just happened to come to my room for the callback audition, and I remember his audition because I gave him the highest score I’ve ever given a kid auditioning. He was really that good, and he must have been, I don’t know, 13 at the time. It was riveting.”

Shifman also shared that, to his surprise, Chalamet did not get accepted to the school. Speaking to Vanity Fair, Shifman revealed that it was after he strongly asserted to the principal that Chalamet deserves a chance that the A Complete Unknown actor got in.

He said,

“For some reason, who knows, maybe it was something on his middle-school record, lateness, or I don’t know what—[he had been] rejected in the interview. Thank goodness the principal was responsive to me, because I was very incensed that Timmy didn’t get in.”

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Timothée Chalamet is still grateful for the support of his drama teacher

Timothée Chalamet always has the support of his drama teacher. In 2025, the actor revealed to Cooper during 60 Minutes that he had taken the help of Shifman in preparation for playing Bob Dylan in A Complete Unknown. Chalamet said,

“He helped me on the Dylan project, you know. Yeah, we ran the script a bunch of times and Shifman has a great perspective has a great perspective on on everything in life so I just very much valued his thoughts.”

In fact, at the red carpet of the 2025 Academy Awards, where Chalamet was nominated for the Best Actor award for his role in the Bob Dylan biopic, Access Hollywood showed the actor a clip from his teacher. In the clip, Shifman can be seen addressing Chalamet and saying,

“Well pal, you've earned your keep and the recognition of your artistry in bringing humanity to life with wit and passion and grace. Take it all in, feel it and bring us more... and always remember as Bob Dylan once said, 'Keep a good head and always carry a lightbulb.' Blessings pal.”

Chalamet, moved at hearing the message, thanked Access Hollywood for organizing the exchange.