Bob Dylan hails Timotheé Chalamet as "a brilliant actor" ahead of A Complete Unknown biopic release

5 December 2024, 12:00

The legendary artist has also urged his followers to read the book the film A Complete Unknown is based on.

Bob Dylan has talked about upcoming film about him, A Complete Unknown starring Timotheé Chalamet.

The Like A Rolling Stone legend took to X this week to discuss the biopic, telling his followers: "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 83-year-old icon added: "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."

The 28-year-old actor responded to the tweet writing: "Floored," addding: "I am so grateful."

Read more:

• Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown starring Timothée Chalamet release date revealed
• Timotheé Chalamet learned 30 Bob Dylan songs for upcoming biopic A Complete Unknown

The film, which is set for release on 25 December in the United States and follows in January 2025 in the UK, charts the early stages of Dylan's career from his arrival in New York city in 1961 up until 72 hours after he plays the Newport folk festival in 1965 - where he's famously known for going electric.

Watch the trailer for the upcoming film and see Chalamet in the guise of Dylan below:

A Complete Unknown – Bob Dylan biopic official trailer

Chalamet is joined in the biopic by Ed Norton as American folk singer and social activist Pete Seeger, Elle Fanning as Dylan's '60s love interest Sylvie Russo, Boyd Holbrook as the legendary Johnny Cash and Monica Barbaro as American singer, songwriter, musician, and activist Joan Baez.

Meanwhile, Timotheé Chalamet recently revealed that he learned 30 songs for his role in the biopic.

Speaking on a special Apple Music feature, the star revealed: "For the movie, I had to learn 13, let’s say, or something, but in total, I could probably play 30. So Tim Monich was a dialect coach. That’s who I worked with for years on this. Worked with a harmonica coach for five years. And then, worked with a woman named Polly Bennett, who’s a movement coach that actually we got more out of just working on the script together than anything physicality related."

The Dune star - who "retraced" the legendary musicians' steps for the film by spending time in Chicago, Madison and two weeks in Wisconsin - also revealed that he felt most comfortable performing Dylan's songs live.

“It was the most unique challenge I’ve taken on," he explained "But where my confidence came through is eventually doing all the music live.”

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• Bob Dylan's most important protest songs
• How Elton John mistook Bob Dylan for a gardener during cocaine binge