Musician Bob Dylan usually lets his music do the talking, but this week he responded to the new biopic “A Complete Unknown” about his early career. He tweeted, “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.” Now Chalamet has responded in kind on Twitter.
“Floored. I am so grateful. Thank you Bob,” The 28-year-old actor said simply. Chalamet plays Dylan at the start of his storied career, from his meeting with folk legends Pete Seeger (Edward Norton) and Woody Guthrie (Scoot McNairy) to his crossover success as a folk artist and his grappling with fame, and finally to his performance at the Newport Folk Festival where he incited the anger of the crowd and festival programmers by performing with electric instruments.
“Bob and his music reign over culture,” Chalamet said in a featurette for the film. He worked for years to properly portray Dylan, perfecting his voice, body language, and musicianship. “It was important for me to sing and play on set because it was in the spirit of the movie to do it live … Bob wouldn’t let himself be boxed in, which for me as a young artist is the most inspiring.” He adds, “Many of the artists through American pop culture that had the balls to turn their back on what was expected of them — that moment started with Bob.”
Chalamet is an Oscar contender for Best Actor, and the film is starting to look like a potential contender for Best Picture. It was named one of the top 10 films of the year by the National Board of Review and the American Film Institute. Musical biopics have done well in the top category in the past, with “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “Elvis,” and “Maestro” receiving nominations in recent years. And Dylan himself is already an Oscar winner (Best Original Song for “Things Have Changed” from “Wonder Boys”), so we know he’s already got the Academy’s seal of approval. It certainly doesn’t hurt Chalamet’s case that he has Dylan’s as well.
