Timothée Chalamet recounts his deep fears about playing Bob Dyan inA Complete Unknown. Chalamet is set to play the iconic and iconoclastic singer-songwriter in the upcoming biopic by James Mangold. The film will chronicle Dylan’s early career and his interactions with other burgeoning musical talents of the time period. In addition to Chalamet,A Complete Unknownfeatures a leading castincluding Elle Fanning, Monica Barbaro, Edward Norton, Boyd Holbrook, Scoot McNairy, and Dan Fogler. It is set for release on Christmas, December 25.
In a conversation withRolling Stone, Chalamet discusses his fears about playing Dylan. Chalamet explained that even after five years of preparing to play the music star, he would go to sleep terrified of messing something up in his portrayal. He worried going “on [his] phone” or other simple tasks like that would cause too much “distraction.” He said that playing Dylan needed his “eternal focus” while he was on the shoot forA Complete Unknown, as he did not want to miss any beat. Check out the full quote from Chalamet below:
It was something I would go to sleep panicked about, losing a moment of discovery as the character — no matter how pretentious that sounds — because I was on my phone or because of any distraction. I had three months of my life to play Bob Dylan, after five years of preparing to play him. So while I was in it, that was my eternal focus. He deserved that and then more.
God forbid I missed a step because I was being Timmy. I could be Timmy for the rest of my life!
What This Means For A Complete Unknown
Chalamet’s Co-Stars Have Also Lauded His Work
While Chalamet does not say he was going so far as employing Method Acting forA Complete Unknown, his quote does show the seriousness with which he took his commitment to playing Bob Dylan. Thetrailers forA Complete Unknownshow a hint at Chalamet’s use of Dylan’s familiar twang as he sings the artist’s classic songs, as well as his physical likeness. Both of these elements are good indicators thatA Complete Unknownis set to be a worthy portrayal of the singer, and Chalamet’s quote is even stronger evidence towards that positive outlook.
10 Most Exciting Things About Timothée Chalamet’s Upcoming Bob Dylan Biopic
With Timothée Chalamet as the folk legend, there’s a lot to be excited about regarding the upcoming Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown.
In addition to Chalamet’s self-description, the actor’s co-stars have recently praised hisA Complete Unknownperformance as well. Barbaro said that he was “in his own world” in a way that seemed to evoke Dylan. Norton added that Chalamet was “relentless” in his commitment to maintaining his integrity as Dylan in the role, and Norton thought Chalamet was “right to be that protective.” Between the early thoughts from his co-stars and self-description, Chalamet’s performance seems very promising.
Our Take On Chalamet’s A Complete Unknown Performance Prospects
Chalamet’s Best Actor Potential Is Good
All of this early buzz about Chalamet’sA Complete Unknownperformance conjures the conversation of whether the actor can pull an Oscar nomination for this role. Between this andDune: Part Two, Chalamet will have had a huge year. It’s the Bob Dylan biopic, however, that is much more likely to earn him an Oscar nomination. With other strong contenders at play such as Ralph Fiennes inConclaveand Colman Domingo inSing Sing, Chalamet’s Oscar chances are far from secure, but they are looking more and more likely as further news aboutA Complete Unknownarises.
A Complete Unknown
Cast
A Complete Unknown is a biographical movie that follows a young Bob Dylan as he integrates with New York and catches the eye of the folk singers in the area, eventually propelling him into stardom.
