Becoming Bob Dylan
Timothée Chalamet on transforming into Bob Dylan for A Complete Unknown, in cinemas from 17 January
- Adam Tanswell
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When Timothée Chalamet signed up to play Bob Dylan in the Oscar-tipped biopic A Complete Unknown, he had no idea production would turn into a five-and-a-half-year epic. The Dune star joined the project in 2019, but delays to the shoot, caused by the pandemic and industry strikes, allowed the 29-year-old to dive deep into his research.
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“I just immersed myself into the subject matter,” Chalamet tells RT. “In the early 60s, video material of him is super sparing. So, I went to his birthplace in Duluth [Minnesota], and Hibbing, which is where he grew up. I went to Minneapolis, where he went to college briefly. And I spent all that time learning how to play the guitar and harmonica. I had five and a half years to turn over every stone. It became my day and night.”
A Complete Unknown charts the life of the acclaimed musician from 1961 to 1965 in a script based on Elijah Wald’s 2015 book Dylan Goes Electric! The text also served as a powerful resource tool for Chalamet, along with YouTube videos, music lessons and the 1967 documentary Don’t Look Back.
Timothee Chalamet as Bob Dylan next to the man himself. Searchlight/Getty
Director James Mangold says Chalamet’s research paid off: “Timmy can completely transform. There is no way that I can make Timmy or anyone else look or sound exactly like Bob Dylan. If you want to see the real Dylan performing, there are beautiful documentaries that can do that. The point here is to get into the vibe. Timmy is an agile actor who profoundly understands the lens. He has the energy, intellect and creativity for the role.”
Timothée Chalamet in A Complete Unknown. Searchlight Pictures
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The real Dylan is a famous recluse but took to X to lend his support, calling Chalamet a “brilliant actor”. Chalamet smiles: “It was like Bob coming down from the mountaintop to drag his thumb across my forehead or something,” he says. “It was a huge affirmation.”
Authors
Adam Tanswell
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