Bob Dylan on “brilliant actor” Timothée Chalamet playing him in new biopic ‘A Complete Unknown’

5 December, 2024

two side by side images of Timothée Chalamet playing Bob Dylan in 'A Complete Unknown' (left) and Dylan performing live on stage (right)

Bob Dylan has praised Timothée Chalamet and shared his thoughts on the “brilliant actor” playing him in the new biopic A Complete Unknown.

Chalamet (Dune, Wonka) will portray the legendary singer-songwriter in the James Mangold-directed film, which charts Dylan’s controversial switch from acoustic to electric guitar in the mid-’60s.

It is set for release in US cinemas on Christmas Day (December 25), with a UK release to follow on January 17.

Chalamet learned to play 30 songs in preparation for the role, taking lessons with a vocal coach, a guitar teacher, a dialect coach, a movement coach and even a harmonica tutor.

Now, Dylan – who oversaw the project as executive producer – has shared a post on X/Twitter about A Complete Unknown, particularly Chalamet’s big screen portrayal of him.

“There’s a movie about me opening soon called A Complete Unknown (what a title!),” the musician began.

“Timothee Chalamet is starring in the lead role. Timmy’s a brilliant actor so I’m sure he’s going to be completely believable as me. Or a younger me. Or some other me.”

Dylan continued: “The film’s taken from Elijah Wald’s Dylan Goes Electric – a book that came out in 2015. It’s a fantastic retelling of events from the early ‘60s that led up to the fiasco at Newport. After you’ve seen the movie read the book.”

Chalamet has since responded to the praise while quote-tweeting Dylan’s post. “Floored,” he wrote. “I am so grateful. Thank you Bob.” You can see the interaction above.

Last month saw critics share their first reviews of the forthcoming movie. One wrote that “Chalamet delivers the performance of the year”, adding: “[His] performance is not just about the voice and look but rather all of the little nuances and mannerisms that he perfectly brings to his life in his portrayal of Bob Dylan.”

Another called the award-winning actor’s portrayal of Dylan “excellent”.

In October, Chalamet gave a preview of the film by dropping his version of one of Dylan’s most iconic tracks, ‘Subterranean Homesick Blues’. This followed the first full trailer for A Complete Unknown arriving earlier that month.

Edward Norton co-stars in A Complete Unknown as folk singer Pete Seeger, Elle Fanning plays Dylan’s girlfriend Sylvie Russo, and Monica Barbaro portrays Joan Baez.

An official synopsis reads: “Set in the influential New York music scene of the early 60s, A Complete Unknown follows 19-year-old Minnesota musician Bob Dylan’s (Timothée Chalamet) meteoric rise as a folk singer to concert halls and the top of the charts – his songs and mystique becoming a worldwide sensation – culminating in his groundbreaking electric rock and roll performance at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965.”

Meanwhile, it has been revealed that Dylan insisted on there being at least one totally inaccurate moment in the film.

Speaking previously about performing live in the biopic, Chalamet explained: “You can’t re-create it in the studio. If I was singing to a prerecorded guitar, then all of a sudden I could hear the lack of an arm movement in my voice.”

It was said at the time that the actor had not met or spoken to Dylan, who didn’t visit the set at all.

In other news, a series of specially designed posters inspired by Dylan’s most beloved songs have been created to promote A Complete Unknown.

Dylan recently played three live concerts at the historic Royal Albert Hall in London on the 2024 UK leg of his ‘Rough And Rowdy Ways’ world tour.

Elsewhere, he responded to claims from a former backing dancer that she was told not to make eye contact with the musician. He also shared his thoughts on seeing Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds play live in Paris.

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