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Susan Boyle said she was “flattered” by Timothée Chalamet describing her as one of his five favourite Britons.
The actor, in line for an Oscar nomination for his role in Marty Supreme, compiled a list of five British stars he thought were the greats and included the Scottish singer.
“She dreamt bigger than any of us,” he told BBC News, apparently referencing her rendition of the Les Misérables song “I Dreamed a Dream” on Britain’s Got Talent, which stunned judges Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden and Piers Morgan.
Responding to the praise, Boyle wrote on social media that reading about it had been “so incredibly touching”.
“Those early days were quite something, and to know that moment meant something to you all these years on truly humbles me,” she said on Instagram. “We all start somewhere, with a dream and a bit of hope, don’t we? We should all dream big!”
“I wish you every success as you continue to dream your own dream,” she wrote. “Thank you for your kindness and for remembering that moment so fondly.”
After finishing as a runner-up on the ITV competition, Boyle, 64, landed a recording deal and released two albums that reached No 1 in the US.
In May this year, she shared a photo of herself in a recording studio, marking a major development as the singer had suffered a stroke in April 2022 that left her unable to speak and sing properly.
Chalamet’s list also included Lewis Hamilton, David and Victoria Beckham, and hip hop artist Fakemink.
The Wonka actor said the clip of Boyle singing “I Dreamed a Dream”, which went viral globally, “was like the advent of YouTube”.
“Who wasn’t moved by that?” he said. “I remember that like it was yesterday.”
Chalamet, 29, would have been 14 at the time.
The actor will next appear on the big screen in Marty Supreme as professional table tennis player Marty Mauser, who won the US men’s singles championships in 1958 and 1960. In The Independent’s five-star review, critic Clarisse Loughrey said the movie cemented the Dune actor as “one of our greatest talents”.
The film is directed by Josh Safdie, who made Good Time (2017) and Uncut Gems (2019) with his brother Benny.
If he ends up nominated for the role, it will be Chalamet’s third Oscar nod, having received nominations for the drama Call Me by Your Name (2017) and the Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown, which was released in the UK earlier this year.
Marty Supreme will be released in the US on Christmas Day and in the UK on Boxing Day.