Bob Dylan has reacted with praise to Timothée Chalamet playing a younger version of him in his upcoming biopic ‘A Complete Unknown’
Chalamet, aged 28, will play the iconic artist in the new Jams Mangold- directed film that documents the stars controversial switch from acoustic to electric in the mid-1960s.
“There’s a movie about me opening soon called A Complete Unknown (what a title!),” Dylan who oversaw the films creation said on X. “ Timothée 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.”
There’s a movie about me opening soon called A Complete Unknown (what a title!). 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. The film’s taken from Elijah…
— Bob Dylan (@bobdylan) December 4, 2024
“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." He continued.
In preparation for the role, the Dune actor took vocal lessons, guitar lessons, harmonica lessons and as learned to play 30 songs.
Chalamet has since responded to the iconic musicians glowing praise, quote-tweeting Dylan’s post. ”Floored.” he wrote. “I am so grateful. Thank you Bob.”
The film is set to release in US cinemas on Christmas day and UK cinemas on January 17th.
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.”
Dylan's post comes days after Chalamet and Mangold won the Gotham Visionary award for the upcoming biopic.
During his acceptance speech Chalamet said that the opportunity to immersive himself in the role of Bob Dylan “has been the greatest education a young artist can receive”.
“If you’re already a fan of Bob Dylan, this film will make perfect sense to you. If you’re not familiar with his work, perhaps our film can serve as a humble gateway to one of the great poets and chroniclers of our time.”
