US musician Bob Dylan has reacted to Timothee Chalamet being cast as a younger version of him in biopic A Complete Unknown.
The upcoming film follows Oscar-nominated actor Chalamet as influential folk singer Dylan in his early days as a musician in New York City, culminating in his famed performance at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival.
“There’s a movie about me opening soon called A Complete Unknown (what a title!),” Dylan wrote on X.
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
“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.”
Dylan said the film has been adapted from a book by Elijah Wald titled Dylan Goes Electric!, published 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 83-year-old added.
It comes days after Chalamet received the Gotham visionary award alongside A Complete Unknown director James Mangold for the film, which began life in 2019.
During his speech, 28-year-old Chalamet said immersing himself in the world of 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,” he said.
Chalamet previously said he found parallels with Dylan’s journey to stardom, finding his confidence in smaller budget films including his Oscar-nominated turn in Call Me By Your Name, while Dylan found his stride in folk music.
