
By Anna Geisler, Staff Writer
Long before the release of James Mangold’s Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown hit theaters in November 2024, a young Timothée Chalamet was vying to make the musical vagabond his own. When the actor received word at the 2019 Toronto Film Festival that he had been cast as Dylan, he knew that it was essential that he immerse himself entirely in the life and lore of a figure that large.
Over the course of the next five years, Chalamet visited Dylan’s native Duluth, Minnesota, even sitting in on his high school’s theater troupe rehearsal, mastered both the acoustic and electric guitar, and immersed himself in the early ‘60s East Village that Dylan came of age in. Evident enough is the legend's clear praise of the actor’s portrayal in a rare shoutout on his seldom-used personal X account, saying, “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.”
Authenticity is Key
Throughout his award season campaign, the young star has consistently emphasized his commitment to becoming a gateway for the new generation of Dylan fans. More specifically, Chalamet’s January appearance as both host and musical guest on Saturday Night Live stands out as a perfect example of commitment to creating a well-rounded, 3D adaptation of a complex musical persona.
Of course, one would expect the actor to pick two marketable hit-songs highlighted in the film to perform on stage, but the actor opted for lesser-known Dylan standouts — first singing Outlaw Blues from the monumental 1965 record Bringing It All Back Home and later Tomorrow is a Long Time from The Bootleg Tapes released in 2010. Not unlike his musical technique, more trivial historical knowledge also comes to light in a nearly hour-long interview with the esteemed Nardwuar, who is known for pressing stars on their music trivia and underground record releases. In both shining displays of dedication, a clear love of the stories behind the glamour emerged.
When it comes to the recent uptick in biopics that have seemingly taken over the film industry, it can often be hard to decipher what is a faithful, art-based interpretation of a life well lived and what is a cash grab dead-set on winning an academy award. And while Mangold’s A Complete Unknown is by no means a perfect adaption of Bob Dylan’s tumultuous rise to folk fame, sometimes ignoring his personal politics all together, there is something to be said for Chalamet’s immersion into what it means to carry on a looming legacy that still impacts the way art is made today.
The Times They Are a Changin’
A prophet in his own right, Timothée Chalamet has largely outgrown the need to practice method acting to prepare for contemporary roles. His grasp of a musical catalog spanning more than 40 studio albums and 600+ songs recorded is undoubtedly impressive, but his ability to frame Dylan not as a dusty record stashed away in an old man’s basement but rather as an evolving cultural force is impeccably relevant. The long trend of sensationalizing American musical legends is far from over, but can be amended through faithful commitments to rationalizing why and how their art is able to prevail, or why it is not.
Compared to other recent installments to the biopic genre, like Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis and Sam Taylor-Johnson’s Back To Black who arguably failed to capture the real life human being behind the fame-fueled facade, Timothée’s ease in portraying Dylan’s persistent pessimism and pretension create a flawed figure that is plagued by the image he created. Memorializing musical artists is not an easy fate, and one that shouldn’t be taken lightly, and yet Timothée Chalamet delivers in clearing the way for a new generation’s exposure to the American music man.