Timothée Chalamet Says His ‘Greatest Hope’ For ‘A Complete Unknown’ Is That Younger Generations Discover Bob Dylan

Timothée Chalamet has been open about not knowing much about Bob Dylan when he was cast as the legendary singer in the biopic A completely unknown, but he is now a proud member of “Bob’s Church.”

He told Yahoo Entertainment that his “greatest hope” for the film, which opens in theaters on December 25, is that it will be the “gateway” for a new generation to learn about Dylan.

“I was introduced to this music five, six years ago and it’s been the gift that keeps on giving to this day,” he said. “It’s remarkable music and art. It’s really revitalizing, if that’s a word.”

Chalamet added that it is sometimes difficult “in a period like today” to dig deeper into the media we consume.

“There is so much to not make sense of and be hopeless about,” he said. “Then suddenly there’s this gold mountaintop.”

Chalamet appears as Dylan in the film, both singing and playing instruments. He has revealed other skills during the press tour, such as his prowess as a football analyst and his grip on pop culture. He said he “probably” won’t reveal more talent.

Elle Fanning, who has worked with Chalamet in the past, told Yahoo Entertainment that there was a “safety and comfort” in sharing the screen with him again.

“At the time in our lives when we met, Call me by your name hadn’t even come out yet,” Fanning said, referencing Chalamet’s breakout role that earned him an Oscar nomination in 2018. “It’s definitely nice to know each other already.”

She plays Sylvie Russo, a character based on Dylan’s former girlfriend Suze Rotolo, who he was close to when he first rose to fame. She is with him on the cover of his 1963 album The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan.

A complete unknown director James Mangold, who co-wrote the film with Jay Cocks, worked with Dylan on the script. One of the singer’s remarks was that he wanted Rotolo’s name changed.

“It wasn’t explained to me necessarily why. I put my own interpretation on it,” Fanning said. “Reading things about Suze and Bob — they were incredibly close. Suze was someone Bob knew in his youth before he became famous, and I think the people you know before are very valuable to you.”

She said she imagined their relationship was “sacred”. Rotolo died in 2011, and as noted in the film, she was never going to be famous.

“It was definitely, I’m not going to lie, subconsciously in my mind,” Fanning said. “But I think (changing her name) was a nice feeling.”

A complete unknown is in theaters December 25.