Timothée Chalamet and Elle Fanning Hilariously Recreate Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo's 'Holding Space' Meme

Mar. 15, 2025

Timothee Chalamet and Elle Fanning, and Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo.Photo:The Advocate/Instagram; Advocate Channel/Youtube

The Advocate/Instagram; Advocate Channel/Youtube

The stars ofA Complete Unknownare holding space.

Timothée Chalamet, 29 andElle Fanning, 26 — who both star in the new biopic following musician Bob Dylan’s life — sat down for an interview withOutjournalist Tracy Gilchrist, who went viral in November when interviewingWickedstarsCynthia ErivoandAriana Grande. The reporter embraced the “holding space” meme while interviewing theA Complete Unknownduo on Dec. 28.

“First off, I just want to let you know that I am holding space for you,” Gilchrist said to Chalamet and Fanning, who play Dylan and Sylvie Russo, respectively.

The costars replied that speaking to Gilchrist left them “starstruck.” They quickly recreated the funny interaction between Grande and Erivo — the last time Gilchrist said the now-iconic “holding space” line.

Chalamet held out his index finger and Fanning pinched it with her thumb and pointer finger.

Elle Fanning and Timothee Chalamet in ‘A Complete Unknown.''.Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures

Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures

In the original interview that went viral in November, Gilchrist told theWickedcostars that the LGBTQ+ community was connecting with and “holding space with” the lyrics of “Defying Gravity.”

In alater interview withVariety, Grande said that in that moment, Erivo looked like she might cry. So Grande provided support to her friend the only way she could think of in the moment — clutching Erivo’s index finger and tapping her long acrylic nail.

“I just wanted to be there because I knew something big was happening,” said Grande, 31 of Erivo, 37.

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The singer-actress also admitted she didn’t know what “holding space” meant. Her confusion compounded with Erivo’s reaction — Erivo quickly grew emotional and responded, “I didn’t know that was happening.”

“I feel really relieved that the world had the same experience with this moment that I did, because I felt like, ‘Oh I’m not broken,’" she said, adding, “The best thing to is to really hold space with that.”

BothWickedandA Complete Unknown —which debuted Nov. 22 and Dec. 25, respectively — are now playing in theaters.

source: people.com