Dune actor Timothée Chalamet, one of the hottest in the business right now, has found himself on the receiving end of some pretty heavy criticism for daring to speak a truth that, somehow, has become controversial in our modern culture: not having children is a bad life choice.
Now, what he actually said is that people who purposely choose not to have kids create a “bleak” reality, which is really just him saying the quiet part out loud. Lots of us think that very same thing when we hear younger couples talk about deciding against procreation, but in a time in society when being polite rules the day, most remain silent. Not Chalamet. And he’s paying a heavy price for it.
The A Complete Unknown actor sat down for an interview with Vogue to discuss his upcoming film Marty Supreme, when the topic of sacrificing one’s family life to achieve greatness came up. During the conversation, he brought up Dune director Denis Villeneuve, who dedicates himself to his family and still produces excellent work.
“I’m just amazed by him,” Chalamet told Vogue. “It was his birthday two days ago, and one of his kids flew themselves out as a surprise, and he’s hugging him, and he’s weeping on set, and people are taking videos. Denis masters his craft, and he’s a great family man.”
Chalamet then said that having children “could be on the radar” for him, going on to recount a time he watched an interview of a famous person he left nameless who “bragged about not having kids and how much time it afforded them to do other stuff.”
The actor said his reaction to the idea of a childless existence was, “Like holy s**t. Oh my God. Bleak.” Journalist Mattie Khan then pointed out that he understands some couples can’t have kids but believes that procreation is “the reason we’re here.” It doesn’t take much to raise the hackles of modern-day feminists, but this take turns them absolutely rabid.
And that speaks volumes about the condition of the hearts and souls of many in our culture. Many seem determined to assault our most vulnerable citizens, the preborn, especially in the United States. Abortions occur at an alarmingly high rate every day. If a family dares to have more than two kids, people gawk at them at the grocery store and often hurl vile, rude comments.
It’s safe to say that a growing hatred for children is spreading, and that’s highly concerning for the future of humankind. Believe it or not, we need bigger families, not smaller ones. In the past, population growth often pushed genuine progress in technology, medicine, and the evolution of civilization. Not having kids isn’t progressive. It’s regressive.
Scripture has a lot to say about children, particularly how much of a blessing it is to have them, which flies in the face of the modern conversation touting childlessness as a virtue. For example, Psalm 127:3-5 says, “Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward… Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them.”
Psalm 128:3-4 says, “Your children will be like olive shoots around your table… thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord.” Both verses encourage having children—lots of them. Scripture doesn’t treat kids as chains holding a person back from reaching their full potential. Quite the opposite. The overall message suggests that having a bunch of little ones roaming around actually helps individuals reach their full potential.
God often uses children as pruning tools to cut away our selfishness, helping men become leaders, fulfilling the roles they were created for, inspiring them to take on responsibility and serve their local communities more faithfully. Women, as mothers, don’t just change diapers and clean up vomit. They raise future generations of innovators, world leaders, scientists, and doctors. What if a person chooses to be childless, and their child would have been the one to cure cancer and save millions of lives? Childless couples don’t just rob themselves of immense joy—they also cheat the world out of the blessings that a child could have brought to society.
The Lord Jesus Christ teaches us how to view children when He brings one into the midst of the disciples in Matthew 18:1-5. He tells them that anyone who receives a child in His name receives Him. In Matthew 19:13-15, the disciples try to shoo away a group of kids from Jesus, believing they are bothering Him. Jesus rebukes them by saying, “Let the little children come to me… for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” He doesn’t merely tolerate them; He blesses them.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church in section 1652 says, “Children are the supreme gift of marriage.” The following section adds, “The fruitfulness of married love extends first and foremost to children.” Pope St. John Paul also championed married couples having kids, saying, “We need not fear the future. We need only fear not having children to share it with.”
Another nugget of wisdom from the pope says, “Without children there can be no future. Families that close themselves to life close themselves to hope.” One of the heroes of the faith, the Venerable Servant of God, Archbishop Fulton Sheen, said, “When a civilization ceases to be interested in children, it ceases to be civilized.”
All in all, Chalamet’s natural aversion to purposely avoiding children displays the image of God in him. He’s right on the money. Hopefully, if he remains strong and refuses to back down from his comment due to cultural pressures, others will feel inspired to think more critically before choosing to forego having kids of their own.
