How Timothée Chalamet's love for Liverpool began

News imagePA Media Timothée Chalamet, who has cropped dark hair and wears glasses, smiles as he appears on sofa of the Graham Norton chat show. He is front of a orange and purple backdrop.PA Media
Timothée Chalamet has been tipped to win an Oscar for his role as a table-tennis player in Marty Supreme

"Are you from Liverpool?"

A brief encounter between award-winning actors Timothée Chalamet and Owen Cooper at the 2026 Critics' Choice ceremony last week caught the attention of many online.

Cooper had requested a selfie with the US star, who then noticed an image of Liverpool footballer Diogo Jota on the Adolescence actor's phone, prompting his question.

The teenager from Warrington, which is 20 miles away from Liverpool, responded he wasn't from Merseyside, adding: "I don't have a Scouse accent."

News imageGetty Images Owen Cooper, whos is standing, gestures with his hand as he chats to Timothée Chalamet, who smiles. He is seated with his partner Kylie Jenner at a table with lots of people milling around behind.Getty Images
A clip of a conversation between actors Owen Cooper and Timothée Chalamet was widely shared

But this interaction wasn't the start of Chalamet's interest in Liverpool.

The actor started to be linked to the city last year when speculation arose that he was masked Merseyside rapper EsDeeKid.

During a BBC interview to promote his film Marty Supreme, the actor declined to defuse the rumours or put on a Scouse accent.

Referencing the iconic Liverpool phrase "chicken and a can of coke", he replied: "You want me to talk about 'chicken and coke' and stuff like that, right? No, you'll see all in due time."

A few days later, he shared a clip of him performing alongside the rapper at an off-licence and inside a kitchen.

Liverpool film-maker Archie Erskine, who took the train to London to make the video, told GQ magazine that Chalamet's lyric "I got a can of Coke and that cheque in" was "making sure people understand how long Liverpool rap has waited for a moment like this and how long it has previously existed".

"There are so many great artists people will now be exposed to."

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Joe Gomez

Liverpool FC fans have also spotted another link between Chalamet and the city.

A photograph of the actor as a child lining up for a team picture beside current Liverpool player Joe Gomez has been shared on a football club's Instagram account.

The image was shared by Manhatten Kickers and shows the two boys kneeling next to each other.

It is understood the pair played for different teams at a youth tournament.

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