It should be a great film to behold. Co-stars and director James Mangold reveal how Chalamet stayed in character throughout the shoot, ensuring authenticity in the portrayal of the iconic musician.
- Chalamet's intense dedication shines like never before
- His co-stars' shares insights on his set dynamics
- It could be a career-defining movie
Chalamet's Intense Dedication
Timothée Chalamet's portrayal of Bob Dylan in the upcoming film 'A Complete Unknown' showcases his dedication to his craft. The film, directed by James Mangold, is based on Elijah Wald's book 'Dylan Goes Electric!' and explores the musician's controversial shift to electric instrumentation in 1965.
Chalamet's commitment to staying in character was so profound that he isolated himself from visitors and friends during the filming process. Co-star Edward Norton described Chalamet's approach as "relentless" to 'Rolling Stone', emphasizing the actor's insistence on maintaining focus to do justice to the legendary figure.
"No visitors, no friends, no reps, no nothing. ‘Nobody comes around us while we’re doing this,’" Norton recalled. "We’re trying to do the best we can with something that’s so totemic and sacrosanct to many people. And I agreed totally – it was like, we cannot have a f***ing audience for this. We’ve got to believe to the greatest degree we can. And he was right to be that protective."
Monica Barbaro, who plays Joan Baez, noted Chalamet's ability to remain in his own world on set, mirroring Dylan's own introspective nature.
She recounted an incident where director Mangold interrupted a conversation between her and Chalamet, pointing out that Chalamet had lost his Dylan voice. This prompted both actors to refrain from further off-topic discussions. Chalamet's dedication was not just about maintaining Dylan's voice but also about preserving the authenticity of the character's essence throughout the shoot.
"And at that point,” Barbaro said, "I think we both were just like, ‘Nope, no more talking!’"
Chalamet explained his process like this: "I had three months of my life to play Bob Dylan, after five years of preparing to play him," he said. "So while I was in it, that was my eternal focus. He deserved that and then more.… God forbid I missed a step because I was being Timmy. I could be Timmy for the rest of my life!"
Chalamet credited his former co-stars, Christian Bale and Oscar Isaac, for inspiring his method of staying in character. He mentioned that the experience reminded him of his early days in acting, where the focus was purely on the craft without distractions.
He added that remaining in character returned him to his acting roots, "when people aren’t curious about how you go about your work, because they don’t know who you are yet. Which is how the experience was for me on 'Call Me By Your Name.'"
"It was something I would go to sleep panicked about: losing a moment of discovery as the character – no matter how pretentious that sounds – because I was on my phone or because of any distraction," Chalamet explained.
The reviews are starting to come out as well:
"Timothée Chalamet slides into Bob Dylan with an effortless yet focused determination. Fearless in some hypnotic moments," 'Variety' magazine's senior awards editor Clayton Davis wrote on X.
"For me, it’s Monica Barbaro and Elle Fanning that anchor the story of an illusive, mysterious man that remains in that sphere. James Mangold helms with confidence, with gorgeous sets and costumes. Much respect to one of the best to do it."
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For upcoming biopic
This approach was crucial for him to avoid losing any moment of discovery as Dylan, which he feared could happen due to modern-day distractions like smartphones. His dedication extended to performing his own singing and guitar playing in the film, further emphasizing his commitment to the role.
