Bob Dylan praises Timothée Chalamet as ‘a brilliant actor’ ahead of ‘Complete Unknown’ biopic
Bob Dylan has publicly shared his thoughts about an upcoming biopic that will portray his early career for the first time.
The famously private musician expressed his support on X (formerly Twitter) with a somewhat muted enthusiasm on Wednesday. He wrote, “There’s a movie about me set to release soon called A Complete Unknown (what a title!). Timothée Chalamet is in the lead role. Timmy’s a brilliant actor, so I’m sure he will convincingly portray me. Or a younger version of me. Or maybe even a different me,” he posted.
Timothée Chalamet responded on X Thursday, saying, “Floored. I am so grateful. Thank you, Bob.”
“A Complete Unknown,” hitting theaters on Christmas Day, will challenge Chalamet’s skills in both acting and singing. The “Dune” actor plans to perform Dylan’s iconic raspy singing style himself, a task that some stars typically avoid. For instance, Rami Malek didn’t sing in “Bohemian Rhapsody,” and Jennifer Lopez lip-synced in the 1997 biopic about Selena.
Interestingly, a recent trend has emerged in Hollywood, with numerous films depicting the lives of renowned musicians. Earlier this year, Jeremy Allen White announced that he would sing in “Deliver Me From Nowhere,” a biopic about Bruce Springsteen, while Austin Butler contributed his vocals for Elvis in Baz Luhrman’s 2022 film about the legendary singer—although his performance was often mixed with other artists’ voices.
“A Complete Unknown” is directed by James Mangold, known for the Johnny Cash biopic “Walk the Line,” which garnered Oscar nominations for both Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon. Notably, both actors performed their own music in that film.
Dylan remains an extraordinary figure in music. Renowned as the musical poet of his era, his songs like “The Times They Are A-Changin'” and “A Hard Rain’s a-Gonna Fall” have become a vital part of music history, intertwining with the civil rights movement and a counter-culture revolution.
Chalamet also shared his admiration for Dylan during a Nov. 11 interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe. “I’m now deeply absorbed in the world of Bob,” he remarked, referring to himself as “a humble disciple.”
Chalamet mentioned that he has never met Dylan in person; his only experience was attending one of his concerts. When asked if he had ever received a note from the 83-year-old musician, Chalamet joked, “That would be the least Bob thing ever.”
Dylan reviewed the script for the film and even contributed a few lines, which Chalamet described as “the most unique challenge I’ve ever faced” in portraying the legendary folk artist.
The film does not aim to cover Dylan’s entire life, especially since he is still active in the music scene. Instead, it focuses on his ascent to fame in New York leading up to the Newport Music Festival.
“The movie draws inspiration from Elijah Wald’s book, *Dylan Goes Electric*, published in 2015,” Dylan noted in his X post. “It’s a wonderful retelling of the events from the early 1960s that culminated in the Newport debacle. After watching the movie, you should read the book.”
A partial cast includes Monica Barbaro as Joan Baez, Dylan’s former love and co-writer, and Boyd Holbrook as Johnny Cash.
