Timothée Chalamet as Bob Dylan in A Complete Unknown. (Photo: Macall Polay/ Searchlight Pictures via AP)
NEW YORK — Playing a legend like Bob Dylan is no easy task, but Timothée Chalamet has spent nearly six years preparing for the role in A Complete Unknown, a biographical film that traces the iconic musician's rise.
Chalamet’s dedication has been all-encompassing. He didn’t just study Dylan’s music—he visited the musician’s childhood home, learned to play both the guitar and harmonica, and immersed himself in the early 1960s New York City that shaped Dylan’s career. “Cafe Wha? used to have murals of Dylan and Jimi Hendrix on the walls, but now it’s all Aerosmith covers,” Chalamet recalls with a laugh. “I don’t think this is what it was like when Bob was here.”
Chalamet’s commitment to the role has been so intense that fans have caught glimpses of him playing Dylan’s songs while dressed as Willy Wonka and even while filming Dune. Yet, not everyone was initially convinced. Even his Dune co-star Oscar Isaac—who played a Dylan-inspired character in Inside Llewyn Davis—admitted that he had doubts. “My first thought was, ‘That sounds like a really bad idea,’” Isaac said. But after seeing Chalamet’s performance, which includes singing and playing the guitar, critics have been quick to praise his portrayal. Directed by James Mangold, the film opens on December 25.
In an exclusive interview with Associate Press, Chalamet reflected on the monumental challenge of stepping into Dylan’s shoes.
Chalamet on the Process of Becoming Dylan
“It was clear from the start that I couldn’t do this unless I was fully prepared,” says Chalamet. “I had five or six years to work on it, so there was no rush. Playing someone who actually lived is a gift because there’s real history to work with. But with Dylan, it’s more than just the facts—it’s about capturing the emotional power of his music, which has a profound impact.”
Chalamet admits that his first real exposure to Dylan came in the form of a press conference from 1965, which piqued his curiosity about the man behind the music. “I had always known Dylan through songs like ‘Blowing in the Wind,’ but seeing him in that raw, unfiltered moment of the press conference was fascinating. He was as much a thinker as he was an entertainer.”
He also credits D.A. Pennebaker’s documentary Don’t Look Back for providing key insights into Dylan’s early years. “The film is so raw, without any talking heads or commentary, just real moments. It gave me a clearer understanding of the man.”
Chalamet’s journey to learning Dylan’s music also included months of guitar lessons. “I started with some basic chords on Call Me By Your Name, but in 2018, I began real lessons with Larry Saltzman. We’d meet virtually during the pandemic, working on songs that didn’t even make it into the film,” he says.
When it comes to the music itself, Chalamet gravitated toward both Dylan’s intimate ballads like “Girl From the North Country” and “Boots of Spanish Leather,” as well as the tougher, more political songs like “North Country Blues” and “Ballad of Hollis Brown.”
The film focuses on Dylan’s rejection of fame and public expectations, a theme Chalamet deeply connected with. “It was empowering to play someone who bucked the pressures and chose his own path,” he says.
Though Chalamet never met Dylan, he feels profoundly impacted by the experience. “If I had the chance to meet him, I’d just say thank you—for everything his music and his art have given to the world,” he shares.
As for how the role has changed him, Chalamet reflects, “It’s shifted me as an actor. The years spent preparing, the dignity of portraying something real—it’s opened up new facets of my craft. What people make of it is up to them, and that’s kind of the Dylan way, too.”
