It’s not unusual for actors to learn the basics of an instrument for a role — at least enough to look convincing on screen. Often, however, the music we actually hear belongs to professional musicians. A well-known example is Bradley Cooper in A Star Is Born: while every note appears to be played by him on camera, the guitar heard on the soundtrack comes from Lukas Nelson.
So what about Timothée Chalamet?
In Call Me by Your Name, there is a memorable piano scene that perfectly captures the playful tension of a first summer love. Elio sits at the piano, performing a lively Bach capriccio — but never quite the same way twice. Each variation feels deliberate, almost teasing, especially when Oliver is listening.
“That sounds different,” Oliver notes. “ Did you changed it?”
“Well, I changed it a little bit,” Elio replies. “I just played it the way Liszt would’ve played it if he altered Bach’s version.”
When Oliver asks to hear the original version — the one Elio had been playing outside on the guitar — Elio obliges, but again with a twist.
“I just played it the way Busoni would’ve played it ” he explains, “if he’d altered Liszt’s version.”
Finally, he turns back to the family’s Bösendorfer piano and plays the piece as Bach originally wrote it.
For these scenes, Chalamet didn’t rely on a stand-in. He took piano lessons — along with Italian classes — to prepare for the role of Elio.
Speaking to Männer.media, Chalamet explained that while he had played the piano for years as a child, he had barely touched it in the decade leading up to the film.
“When Luca and James first asked if I could play the piano myself in the scenes, I said yes immediately,” he recalled. “But as filming got closer, I had to be honest with myself and admit I needed to catch up.”
Director Luca Guadagnino then put him in touch with Italian composer Roberto Solci, whose guidance helped Chalamet regain full control of the instrument.
Not long after, a fan-shared clip surfaced online showing Chalamet at the piano once again.
The melody may sound familiar. It’s the same piece Elio plays in the film when Isaac and Mounir’s visit is coming to an end, just before midnight.
And what about the guitar? Can Timothée Chalamet play that too?
“And what is wrong with Bach, the way Bach would’ve played it?” Oliver asks, trying to persuade Elio to perform the capriccio in the classical guitar version he heard earlier.
“Bach never wrote it for the guitar,” Elio retorts.”
So, Chalamet learned just enough guitar to be able to pluck out that same Bach melody.
Chalamet’s six-string skills are set to develop even further with his role in A Complete Unknown (also known during production as Going Electric), the Bob Dylan biopic that traces the musician’s journey from folk singer to rock icon.
Featured image: Film still © Sony Pictures