Timothée Chalamet's Relentless Dedication to Becoming Bob Dylan in 'A Complete Unknown'
MACALL POLAY/SEARCHLIGHT PICTURES
Timothée Chalamet fully immersed himself in the role of Bob Dylan for the upcoming film A Complete Unknown, and Edward Norton, who stars alongside him, has praised his dedication. On set, Chalamet was known only as "Bob Dylan" and kept himself isolated from unnecessary interactions, embodying the spirit of Dylan in both name and presence.
Timothée Chalamet transformed into Bob Dylan
Elle Fanning, who also stars in the film, recounted how she was told before filming that Chalamet would mostly "keep to himself" while portraying the music icon. During pre-production, Fanning was invited to meet with director James Mangold and someone referred to as "Bob." She humorously described how she prepared for what she thought would be a meeting with the real Dylan, only to discover it was Chalamet. "I’m probably the first person in life to be let down by having a rehearsal with Timothée Chalamet," she joked.
Monica Barbaro, who plays Joan Baez in the film, said she first met Chalamet when he was already deep into his portrayal of Dylan. "It wasn’t so full-on," Barbaro noted of Chalamet's Method approach. "It wasn’t like, 'Don’t look him in the eye.' We said hi, gave each other a hug. I was like, 'I just saw Dune!' But Timothée stayed in his own world, which mirrored Bob's behavior as well." Barbaro also recalled how Mangold once reminded Chalamet to stay focused on Dylan's unique voice after a casual chat during filming. "We both were like, 'Nope, no more talking!'" she laughed.
Edward Norton, who portrays Pete Seeger, spoke highly of Chalamet's relentless commitment to staying immersed. "No visitors, no friends, no reps, no nothing. 'Nobody comes around us while we’re doing this,'" Norton said, reflecting on Chalamet's stance. "We’re trying to do the best we can with something that’s so totemic and sacrosanct to many people. And he was right to be that protective."
Chalamet shared that part of his motivation for staying fully immersed was a desire to recapture the freedom of his early acting experiences, akin to his work on Call Me by Your Name, before the public became curious about his craft. "It was something I would go to sleep panicked about: losing a moment of discovery as the character — because I was on my phone or because of any distraction," Chalamet said. "I had three months to play Bob Dylan, after five years of preparing. He deserved that and more… God forbid I missed a step because I was being Timmy. I could be Timmy for the rest of my life!"
The Complete Unknown, directed by James Mangold, opens in theaters on December 25 from Searchlight Pictures. For a deeper dive into Timothée Chalamet’s portrayal and commitment, visit Rolling Stone’s website for the full cover story.
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