Timothée Chalamet Addresses Rumors of On-Set Behavior During Bob Dylan Biopic

In a new profile published in The Hollywood Reporter on Dec. 13, Timothée Chalamet and his A Complete Unknown director James Mangold addressed rumors of the star’s on-set behavior during production of the Bob Dylan biopic.

The outlet asked Chalamet directly about rumors that he stayed in character throughout the shoot, requesting that fellow cast and crew members refer to him using Dylan’s name. “Is it true you were being referred to as ‘Bob’ on set and staying in character between takes?” moderator Seth Abramovitch asked.

“No,” Chalamet answered unequivocally. However, he added that he “wouldn’t say no to [being addressed as ‘Bob’ on set],” but then paused before asking, “What’s the question?”

“Let me in on your thinking,” Abramovitch elaborated, “in terms of what sounds to have been an obsessive commitment to playing Dylan?” Chalamet spent six years preparing for the role, immersing himself in Dylan’s life and learning how to sing. Early reviews of his performance, and the film itself, have been overwhelmingly positive.

Pondeirng that commitment, Chalamet reflected: “It’s the furthest I’ve stretched myself. And it became so biblical to me in terms of this man’s life and his work that I felt if I let my focus err for a second, that I’d be self-loathing about it for years to come. I had three months to play Bob Dylan and the rest of my life I don’t get to be about that, so why not give it my all?”

At this point, veteran director Mangold—who directed Joaquin Phoenix as Johnny Cash in Walk the Line (2006)—interjected with a frank observation. 

“Can I say that stuff pisses me off? The whole, ‘Did everyone have to call you Bob?’ Because it’s not obsessive,” he contended. “We’re here to make a f---ing movie about a character and [a] s--t-ton of judgment [will] be leveled on [Chalamet’s] shoulders. Any level of focus that he’s asking of himself, to me, should be honored and not called obsessive. It’s called doing your f---ing job. That’s just my two cents on that.”

Chalamet’s co-star, Elle Fanning, pointed out that normal protocol on any film or TV set, regardless of how serious or unserious the project might be, is to refer to actors by their character’s name. “Normally, [assistant directors] always call you by your character name. They do it because it’s on the call sheet,” she explained.

“They do typically call you your character,” Chalamet agreed. “But all that stuff about in-character Method work, that’s really not how I pushed this,” he continued. “There’s stuff you pointedly avoid [on set], like cell phone use or things that are nakedly contemporary that could throw you. But [Method] wasn’t my M.O. at all.”

A Complete Unknown hits cinemas on Dec. 25. You can check out the trailer below.