Timothée Chalamet Receives Honorary David Speciale Award in Italy

Timothée Chalamet was recently honored with the prestigious David Speciale Award for Cinematic Excellence at the 70th annual David di Donatello Awards in Italy on May 8, 2025. The award recognized him not only as an exceptional actor but also as a global protagonist in Italian cinema.

Best known for his breakout role in Luca Guadagnino’s “Call Me By Your Name,” Chalamet’s performance as the lovestruck Elio earned him his first Academy Award nomination for Best Actor in 2017, making him the third-youngest nominee in that category.

Accepting the award on Wednesday night, Chalamet praised Guadagnino for the role he played in his acting career. Reflecting on his journey, he shared, “Luca is probably the most important person in my career. I started out as a 20-year-old kid from New York who was having a hard time breaking out in the American film industry.”

Chalamet, who attended the prestigious film award with his girlfriend Kylie Jenner and his father Marc Chalamet, attributed his success to the Italian film community that embraced him. “My career happened overnight thanks to Luca Guadagnino and the chance he took on me playing in an Italian movie. I have no familial bloodline that runs through Italy. I’m not related to anyone here, but I feel a deep connection to the cinema community here,” he added.

In addition to Chalamet’s award, other big winners at this year’s David di Donatello Awards included Paolo Sorrentino‘s “Parthenope,” Andrea Segre’s “The Great Ambition,” Maura Delpero’s “Vermiglio,” and Valeria Golino’s “The Art of Joy.”