Timothée Chalamet and Elle Fanning gushed over Out reporter Tracy E. Gilchrist and recreated the "holding space" finger-holding meme during an adorable new interview with The Advocate to promote the new Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown.
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Gilchrist spoke with Chalamet and Fanning about A Complete Unknown in a brand-new interview for The Advocate (Out's sibling publication). Before the cameras were even filming their interactions, however, the actors recognized Gilchrist and gushed over the fact they were being interviewed by the "holding space" meme queen herself.
"It's an honor talking to you," Chalamet blurted out. "I feel, like, sort of starstruck."
"I know you!" Fanning added. "You walked in, and I was like, Tracy!"
Chalamet added, "Like, holy sh*t. This better be good."
Elle Fanning and Timothée Chalamet in an interview for 'A Complete Unknown' with 'The Advocate' reporter Tracy E. Gilchrist.
Footage stills by The Advocate/Out Magazine
After formally introducing herself Gilchrist and letting the actors know that she was "holding space" for them, Chalamet and Fanning thanked her, and both declared that they were feeling "starstruck" to be in her presence.
Gilchrist echoed their sentiments, but before she even got to the first question, Chalamet and Fanning recreated the finger-holding meme — originated by Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande in a press junket for the Wicked movie — prompting all three of them to start giggling again.
Gilchrist has now spilled some tea with Out about what happened before they even started filming the interview:
"This viral moment has been the wildest ride of my life, filled with so much laughter and joy. But this moment with Timothée and Elle was hilariously surreal. Before I was even seated, Elle looked up, and saw me, and said, 'Tracy! Oh, Tracy's famous.' She then said, 'My sister and I do the finger-hold all the time.' And I'm thinking, 'Your sister, Dakota [Fanning]?!'"
"Timothée said he couldn't believe he was talking to me," Gilchrist added. "And I'm sitting there thinking the same about them; these actors I've watched and admired for years. It was an unexpected, adorable, and hilarious moment. I feel very lucky."
Tracy E. Gilchrist; Timothée Chalamet and Elle Fanning in an interview for 'A Complete Unknown.'
Footage stills by The Advocate/Out Magazine
The stars of A Complete Unknown also joked about how different their interview set-up was in comparison to that viral Wicked interview.
"There's nothing we can do that can trump what happened, you know what I mean?" Fanning said.
Chalamet agreed. "We have regular chairs. I feel like they were in, like, plush, green [chairs]."
Gilchrist still acknowledged that she loved the energy between Chalamet and Fanning, and confessed that it was hard to sit in those Wicked chairs. "I had to sit on the edge because I was sinking."
"Well, you looked comfortable!" Chalamet declared.
A Complete Unknown is now playing in theaters.
