Timothée Chalamet is opening up about a childhood hobby that’s striking a chord with fans far beyond the film world.
In a new interview with W Magazine for its latest Directors Issue, the Oscar-nominated actor revealed that he was deeply into Yu-Gi-Oh! as a kid — and not just casually. Chalamet said that around age 12 or 13, he would regularly head to Midtown Comics in Manhattan to compete.
“When I was growing up, I was really into cards,” Chalamet shared. “I remember being 12 or 13 and going to Midtown Comics to play, and I loved how the game brought all these different classes and races together.”
The feature, directed by filmmaker Josh Safdie, casts Chalamet as “Shend,” a fictional New York hustler who juggles a day job as a doorman with side gigs selling customized video game controllers — and dominates Yu-Gi-Oh! tournaments in his spare time. The gritty, character-driven shoot blends Chalamet’s real-life Hell’s Kitchen upbringing with his longtime fandom.
But it wasn’t just the confession that got fans talking. Photos from the spread show Chalamet holding competitive cards including “Junk Speeder” and “Called by the Grave,” sparking immediate buzz across social media. Within hours, Yu-Gi-Oh! players were dissecting the choices, noting that “Junk Speeder” is central to advanced Synchro combo strategies — not exactly a beginner’s pick.
For the uninitiated, Synchro summoning is one of the game’s more technical mechanics. Players combine the Levels of a special “Tuner” monster and one or more non-Tuner monsters on the field. If their total Levels match that of a Synchro monster in the Extra Deck, those monsters are sent to the Graveyard and the Synchro monster is Special Summoned. Cards like “Junk Speeder” can then trigger additional effects that enable further summons, creating complex chains that are staples of competitive play. “Called by the Grave,” meanwhile, is widely used to disrupt opponents’ strategies by negating effects in the Graveyard.
In other words: if the cards were Chalamet’s choice, he knows what he’s doing.
The reveal quickly went viral, with fans expressing everything from disbelief to admiration. Some joked that the actor should be cast as Yugi in a live-action adaptation, while others simply celebrated the idea that one of Hollywood’s biggest stars once spent afternoons grinding local tournaments.
Chalamet’s comments also land amid a broader wave of celebrities embracing trading card games. Olympic figure skater Amber Glenn has spoken publicly about competing in local events for Magic: The Gathering, highlighting how these strategy-heavy games continue to build community across industries.
For fans, Chalamet’s Yu-Gi-Oh! nostalgia isn’t just a quirky footnote — it’s a reminder that long before the red carpets and blockbuster premieres, he was just another kid at a card shop, hoping to draw the right combo.
