Timothée Chalamet is the most recent actor to take on the role of Bob Dylan, portraying the iconic singer inA Complete Unknown, which raises questions about how he compares visually and auditorily to the real person.Bob Dylan is widely considered one of the best songwriters of all time due to his brilliant lyricism, for which he won a Nobel Prize in Literature in 2016. He’s also often labeled the voice of a generation – a moniker he’s rejected many times, including in his autobiography.
Because of his impact on folk music and rock ‘n’ roll, many documentaries andmovies about Bob Dylanexist. The 2024 Christmas release,A Complete Unknown, adds to the growing collection of music biopics. This time, Oscar-nominated actor Timothée Chalamet takes on the role, and, yes,Chalamet really does sing Dylan’s songs. As shown in the trailer, the actor transforms for the role in an impressive way.
How Timothée Chalamet Looks In A Complete Unknown Compared To The Real Bob Dylan
The Makeup And Hair Teams Transformed Timothée Chalamet For A Complete Unknown
ThroughoutA Complete Unknown, Timothée Chalamet looks remarkably similar to Bob Dylan, thanks to his natural appearance and the hard work of the makeup and hair teams. The behind-the-scenes process is outlined inVariety. Like Bob Dylan, Timothée Chalamet is known for his curly hair, though Chalamet’s hair is more wavy, while Dylan’s hair appears kinky. However, Chalamet’s hair is transformed for the movie thanks to the hair department lead Jaime Leigh McIntosh. They cut Chalamet’s hair and styled it for the earlier parts of the film, and he wore a wig for later scenes.
5 feet, 10 inches
5 feet, 7 inches
Blue & hazel (appears green)
Brown with warm undertones
Hair texture
Wavy curly
Kinky curly
Chalamet’s face shape is similar to Dylan’s but different enough that the makeup team took steps to match them as closely as possible. Throughout the entire film, Timothée Chalamet wears a prosthetic nose. The actor also has a more defined jawline than Dylan had during the early part of his career, so the makeup department gave him internal cheek plumpers to create Dylan’s baby face shape. Chalamet took them out for later scenes, since Dylan’s face became more angular throughout the early 1960s. Ultimately,both the hair and makeup teams succeeded in transforming Chalamet into Dylan.
A Complete Unknown Review: Timothée Chalamet Captivates As Bob Dylan In A Fascinating Yet Frustrating Biopic
I walked away from the film feeling distant from Bob Dylan. That seems to be by design but it’s no less frustrating from a storytelling point of view.
The pair have two notable differences, though, that remain the same in the movie. Firstly, Bob Dylan has blue eyes, whereas Timothée Chalamet has green eyes. Additionally, Chalamet is three inches taller than Dylan, and he looks even taller because of the volume of his hair.
How Timothée Chalamet Sounds As Bob Dylan In A Complete Unknown Compared To Real Life
Timothée Chalamet Does A Remarkable Impression Of Bob Dylan
Whether Bob Dylan is a good singer is a polarizing debate within the music community, with people having strong opinions on both sides. No matter which side a person falls on, it’s fair to say that Dylan’s voice is distinctive. His singing has a gritty and nasal quality, sounding unpolished with drawn-out vowels and minimal enunciation. However, there’s also passion and energy in his ’60s songs. When it comes to Bob Dylan’s speaking voice, he’s rambly, where one word almost runs into the next. Impressively,Timothée Chalamet perfectly captures Bob Dylan’s speaking and singing voice inA Complete Unknown.
Where To Watch A Complete Unknown On Streaming
A Complete Unknown, starring Timothée Chalamet as the iconic folk musician Bob Dylan, is one of the final awards season releases of 2024.
At times, Chalamet’s renditions of the songs sound exactly like Dylan’s versions. Occasionally, his voice sounds more polished with better diaphragm support, but even then, it maintains the gritty and nasally quality that Bob Dylan is known for. This feat is incredibly impressive, considering all the music in the film is recorded live. While his singing is remarkably similar to Dylan’s, his speaking voice is even more aligned with the singer. All of this can be attributed to the actor’s hard work, as well as the training provided by his numerous coaches.Chalamet worked with these individuals to perfect his performance:
Ultimately, this paid off as many of theearly reviews forA Complete Unknownspecifically praise his incredible performance as Bob Dylan, pointing out how closely he resembles the singer in vocals, appearance, and mannerisms.
What Bob Dylan Has Said About Timothée Chalamet’s A Complete Unknown Performance
Bob Dylan Thinks Timothée Chalamet Is A Great Actor
During an exclusive Q&A with the director andcast ofA Complete Unknownon December 18, for which a member of theScreen Rantteam was present,director James Mangold revealed that Bob Dylan had read the script and filled in the gaps but hadn’t seen the actual movie. He’s unsure if the musician will, since Mangold stated that Dylan reportedly avoids movies about himself. Even if he didn’t avoid these types of films,Bob Dylan is nowon his “Neverending Tour,” so he’s probably too busy to watchA Complete Unknown, though that’s just speculation. Despite this, Dylan voiced his support for Timothée Chalamet’s taking on the role on Twitter.
Chalamet responded with gratitude to his idol underneath the original post (viaTwitter/X). The pair clearly have respect for one another’s work. Ultimately, even if he hasn’t seen the movie, the voice of support from Bob Dylan goes a long way in lendingA Complete Unknowncredibility in the eyes of his fans.
