Timothée Chalamet has long been an honorary twink — he may not be gay, but his starring role in “Call Me By Your Name” was enough to cement the actor in the queer canon. But in his new role as a young Willy Wonka, he’s apparently spearheaded an entirely new identity: Twonka. Twink Wonka.
The discourse started when Twitter user Art Doherty, @_ARTSARTSARTS, saw Chalamet’s new film “Wonka,” a prequel story about the eccentric chocolatier, was filming in their hometown of Lyme Regis in the U.K. They captured a behind-the-scenes look at the movie musical, leaking the first official (unofficial) clip of the film to Twitter. “theydies and gentlethems, without further ado, the main event … THEE timothée chalamet on my doorstep recording a musical number for wonka!” they tweeted.
theydies and gentlethems, without further ado, the main event… THEE timothée chalamet on my doorstep recording a musical number for wonka ! and i am living ! timmy nation rise !!! pic.twitter.com/LswcIBSca9
— art (@_ARTSARTSARTS) October 12, 2021
In the video, Chalamet is riding on the back of a truck, belting out a new song written for the movie. “Now it’s time to show the world my recipe,” he sings. “I’ve got 12 silver sovereigns in my pocket / And a hat full of dreams.” The clip now has over 460,000 views.
And according to Doherty, Chalamet’s on-set twinkhood is undeniable. In another tweet, they wrote, “i could shout twink and this man would hear me.”
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i could shout twink and this man would hear me
— art (@_ARTSARTSARTS) October 11, 2021
“I’m not attaching any other labels other than twink,” they explained to Vulture. “I think you can’t disagree with that.”
What exactly makes this Wonka a Twonka, you may ask?
“It’s just the walk,” Doherty said. “If you’re gonna do a young Willy Wonka, he’s gonna end up being a twink by nature. But the joie de vivre from the walk and the way he’s just bouncing along with a little top hat and tails, it’s just twinky behavior. There’s no other way to put it. I’m sorry.”
THIS SNOWY BUILDING IS LITERALLY THE ONE BEHIND ME IM pic.twitter.com/s9rqkRn7u6
— art (@_ARTSARTSARTS) October 10, 2021
Others have likened to Chalamet’s Wonka to Gonzo from the Muppets — and I must admit, the resemblance is uncanny. But that doesn’t mean Timmy isn’t a twink; in fact, it might mean Gonzo’s just a twink himself.
— spookt 👻 (@ktmob_) October 10, 2021
We have to take Doherty’s word about Twonka for now, because the movie isn’t hitting theaters until 2023. But this is a world of pure imagination I’m happy to live in.
