Timothée Chalamet Is Still Pushing to Play Ernie Johnson in Biopic After Meet-Up

Johnson told Chalamet he made him "the coolest grandpa of all time."

Chalamet, Stiller and Johnson at Gainbridge Fieldhouse for Game 4 between the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks | Screengrab via @NBAonTNT on X/Twitter

World-renowned actor and New York Knicks superfan Timothée Chalamet finally met up with the dream subject he would want to play if he did another biopic.

After he played Bob Dylan in A Complete Unknown, he went viral for saying he'd like to play TNT analyst and Inside the NBA host Ernie Johnson if he could do another biopic.

Chalamet's thought to play Johnson in a biopic made it to an episode of Inside the NBA in January, where Johnson said he knew Chalamet worked five years to perfect Dylan, but it wouldn't take that long to "get him done."

Johnson and Chalamet finally met up Tuesday night as they were both at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis for Game 4 between the Knicks and Pacers. Fellow actor and Knicks superfan Ben Stiller introduced Johnson and Chalamet, where they briefly discussed the biopic.

"I'm playing you in the biopic, I'm playing you in the biopic," Chalamet repeated as he shook Johnson's hand.

When the Inside the NBA crew initially discussed in January, Johnson said Chalamet made him a hero with his kids and grandkids, which he had to thank him for. "You've made me the coolest grandpa of all time," Johnson said back to Chalamet as they met Tuesday.

"I'm playing you in the biopic!" 😆@TurnerSportsEJ & @RealChalamet finally linked during Game 4 🤝 pic.twitter.com/7dtXBclLH5

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 28, 2025

This isn't the first time Chalamet has showed love to the Inside the NBA crew. In February 2024, he called former NBA guard and current TNT analyst Kenny Smith a style icon. As a fashion icon himself, Chalamet had some high praise for Smith's dress.

Should a Johnson biopic ever come to fruition, Chalamet will certainly be the first in line for the role. His Knicks dropped Game 4 to the Pacers 130-121 to fall in a 3-1 hole in the Eastern Conference finals. The series now heads back to New York for Game 5 as the Knicks face elimination, which tips Thursday at 8 p.m. ET.

---