CNN and Variety Announce Special Town Hall Conversation Event with Timothée Chalamet and Matthew McConaughey
A CNN & Variety Town Hall Event: Timothée Chalamet and Matthew McConaughey Airs Saturday, February 21 at 7pm ET/PT on CNN and Streaming for Subscribers
NEW YORK – (February 9, 2026) – CNN and Variety will present a special, one-of-a-kind town hall conversation featuring Academy Award® nominee Timothée Chalamet and Academy Award® winner Matthew McConaughey. A CNN & Variety Town Hall Event: Timothée Chalamet and Matthew McConaughey will air Saturday, February 21 at 7pm ET/PT on CNN and stream live for subscribers of CNN’s streaming offering.
Filmed before a live audience of students at The University of Texas at Austin’s Moody College of Communication, the event brings together two of Hollywood’s most dynamic actors, Timothée Chalamet and Matthew McConaughey, for a candid discussion about their craft and creative process. In addition to reflecting on their approaches to performance and the roles that have most influenced their artistic journeys, Chalamet and McConaughey will also take questions from the student audience throughout the program. McConaughey has taught film courses at UT Austin since 2015.
McConaughey can currently be seen in Apple TV+’s “The Lost Bus,” and he won the Oscar for playing Ron Woodroof in “Dallas Buyers Club.” Chalamet, known for his acclaimed performances in Call Me by Your Name, Dune, and A Complete Unknown, recently earned his third Academy Award® nomination for Best Actor for his electrifying turn as a prodigy table-tennis player in A24’s Marty Supreme.
“This special event underscores the strength of CNN’s partnership with Variety and our shared commitment to thoughtful, premium experiences that bring audiences closer to the artists they admire,” said Amy Entelis, executive vice president of talent, CNN Originals and creative development for CNN Worldwide. “Timothée Chalamet and Matthew McConaughey offer a masterclass in craft and creativity, which is exactly the kind of elevated programming we’re proud to bring to CNN audiences and our streaming subscribers.”
“Timothée Chalamet and Matthew McConaughey first met playing father and son on the set of Christopher Nolan’s ‘Interstellar,'” said Ramin Setoodeh, Variety’s co-editor in chief and co-president. “And at Variety, we love a reunion. Coming off the success of this season of Actors on Actors, we are thrilled to once again collaborate with CNN on this one-of-a-kind town hall event. We can’t wait to bring together two of the most daring actors in Hollywood.”
This special town hall continues the ongoing content partnership between CNN and Variety. Under the collaboration, Season 23 of the Emmy® Award-winning Actors on Actors franchise debuted on CNN’s new streaming offering. All episodes are available now to stream now for CNN subscribers.
A CNN & Variety Town Hall Event: Timothée Chalamet and Matthew McConaughey will stream for CNN’s streaming subscribers and pay TV subscribers via CNN.com, CNN connected TV and mobile apps on Saturday, February 21 at 7pm ET/PT. Following the premiere, the Town Hall event will be available on demand to CNN’s streaming subscribers and pay TV subscribers via CNN.com, CNN connected TV and mobile apps, and Cable Operator Platforms.
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About Variety
Variety is the #1 entertainment news brand. Established in 1905, Variety is now celebrating 120 years of award-winning breaking news reporting, insightful award-season coverage, must-read feature spotlights, and intelligent analysis of the industry’s most prominent players, Variety remains the most trusted source for the business of global entertainment. Read by a highly engaged audience of industry insiders, executive level professionals and decision makers, Variety’s multi-platform content coverage expands across digital, mobile, social, print, as well as podcasts, branded content, data, events and summits. Variety is the vital read in every entertainment capital. Variety is a subsidiary of PME TopCo., a joint venture between Penske Media Corporation and Eldridge. For more information, please visit www.variety.com.
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