Timothée Chalamet once modded Xbox controllers (and they're actually good)

An Xbox controller plus Timothée Chalamet.
(Image credit: Xbox/GQ/Future)

Timothée Chalamet has become one of the most famous young actors of our time, with Hollywood roles up to his ears and millions of adoring fans. But if Chalamet didn't end up acting, what would he be doing?

Well, we might have the answer. As it turns out, a young Timothée Chalamet was an avid gamer and once had his own YouTube channel where he would show off his painted Xbox 360 mods. The secret YouTube channel was found by fans, and features three short videos of Chalamet and the controllers he designed. All the videos were posted 11 years ago when Chalamet would have been 14 and give an insight to the Hollywood heart throb's life pre-fame. If you are looking for your own Xbox console to mod, then check out our best Xbox deals

Chalamet confessed in an interview during his Dune promotions, "My parents were like, 'You're getting spray paint all over the house, you can't do this anymore," which probably explains why there are only three videos on Chalamet's secret account. The channel now has over 22K subscribers and hundreds of thousands of views. 

Before the star confirmed that the YouTube channel was his, some were questioning whether it was actually the elusive star. Fans pointed out that if you listen carefully to the video you can hear a young Chalamet's instantly recognisable voice, and with speculation circulating, Vice jumped in to conduct a full Sherlock Holmes style investigation into the videos. With a ridiculously in-detail analysis of voice, hand scars, seat fabric and flooring, the website came to the conclusion that it was Timothée. 

A comparison between the scar on Chalamet's finger and the finger in the video.

This investigation may have been a little creepy (Image credit: Vice)

We have to admit that we are quite impressed with the mods. For a 14-year-old with a spray can, Chalamet has done quite a good job of pimping up these controllers. Perhaps Sony can commission Chalamet to redesign the controversial DualSense controllers for the PlayStation 5. 

A star as big as Timothée Chalamet is unlikely to breathe without the internet talking about it, so of course, these videos have gone down a storm on social media. One user tweeted, "I have never cared about Timothée Chalamet more than I care about his Xbox 360 controller mod YouTube channel from when he was a teenager," and another tweeted, "Timothee Chalamet being a hardcore Nintendo and Xbox fan is one of the biggest twists of 2021" – we wonder if he's ever read any of our Nintendo or Xbox pieces. 

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We think Chalamet's short-lived modding career is actually quite endearing, and it's sometimes nice to be reminded that these superstars existed before their fame. If you feel inspired by Chalamet's painted mods, then why not check out our guide on art supplies and our roundup of the best games consoles, and have a go at modding your own consoles?

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Amelia Bamsey
Staff Writer

Amelia is Creative Bloq’s Staff Writer. After completing a degree in Popular Music and a Master’s in Song Writing, Amelia began designing posters, logos, album covers and websites for musicians. She now enjoys covering a range of topics on Creative Bloq, including posters, optical illusions, logos (she's a particular fan of logo Easter eggs), gaming and illustration. In her free time, she relishes in the likes of art (especially the Pre-Raphaelites), photography and literature. Amelia prides herself on her unorthodox creative methods, her Animal Crossing island and her extensive music library.