Insiders reveal 'diva' Timothee Chalamet's behind-the-scenes 'frat boy' behavior on Bob Dylan biopic set

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Hollywood has come to recognize actor Timothee Chalamet as a major performer who exudes a combination of humor, timidity, and contagious energy off-screen and on-screen.

Hailed as Hollywood's sensitive new star, Chalamet, however, has been accused by insiders of acting like a diva while filming his Bob Dylan biopic titled 'A Complete Unknown'.

Timothee Chalamet's 'hyper-paranoid diva' behavior comes to light

Following hours of waiting in the sweltering weather, a sizable throng at the Sala Casino during the September 2022 Venice Film Festival held great anticipation for actor Timothee Chalamet.

As they considered his appeal, a fan expressed appreciation and stated, "It feels nice to have a Gen-Z star who seems genuinely nice, whom we can all look up to."

However, insiders in the film business who have collaborated closely with Chalamet on his upcoming Bob Dylan biopic claimed that the rising star is indeed a fierce "diva".

Additionally, several crew members privately discussed the "toxic" on-set atmosphere that was the subject of complaints about "cruelty" and "frat-boy behavior" with Daily Mail as the project's filming came to an end in June.

He was reportedly extremely paranoid and enforced strict regulations, such as forbidding crew members from introducing themselves or establishing eye contact.

"[Chalamet] was hyper-paranoid. We were not allowed to make eye contact with him or introduce ourselves," a crew member on the Hoboken, New Jersey, set of the movie said.

In one unsettling incident, Chalamet allegedly snapped and "cursed out" a low-level production assistant when the latter unintentionally included the actor in the photo frame while snapping the solar eclipse on April 8, 2024.

It has been alleged that the assistant was made to remove every picture from her phone while being watched.

The staff members were worried about their job security shortly after Hollywood's chocolate boy allegedly insisted on a ban on cell phone use near him.

It has been reported that security staff were told to strictly enforce this ban, even in cases where using a phone was necessary for work.

The insider stated that anyone found using a phone near Chalamet would face harsh consequences from on-set security, even if their usage of the phones was essential to their work.

"The production assistant panicked that she was going to get fired," the source revealed.

Chalamet also reportedly "hated when the crew watched rehearsals" and had a special dislike for "stand-in" actors who assisted the lighting department in refining their setup before his arrival for a scene.

Another source denies Timothee Chalamet's alleged 'frat-boy behavior'

According to a different source, production staff might have instructed "people to not approach the actors while they are rehearsing or filming on set," refuting the claims that Chalamet demanded "no eye contact" and that he booted people off-set.

Chalamet reportedly seized a "restroom trailer for himself at the last minute, which caused massive lines and long waits to access the other facilities" on one particularly hectic day of filming with several actors and more than 150 staff members.

The insider added, "It is very common for principal actors to get their own bathrooms."

The insider stated that amateur photography is forbidden and that this is "standard practice," without disputing the prohibition. However, "if [a crew member] takes a picture of the solar eclipse, that's not professional, and production would most likely stop you."

Moreover, the movie's director James Mangold allegedly encouraged "cruelty" and "frat-boy behavior" in this "hostile work environment."

Timothee Chalamet under 'pressure' while filming Bob Dylan biopic

Though Timothee Chalamet played guitar and sang on every song, the Mail's sources acknowledged that he must have felt a great deal of pressure to live up to the legendary status of folk hero Bob Dylan.

"There's a lot of pressure to get it right. Bob Dylan fans are insane and will tear him apart if he gets it wrong," the insider said.

The stakes were raised when critics overwhelmingly criticized Chalamet's performance in the musical fantasy film 'Wonka', which was a reimagining of the 1964 novel 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'.

The upcoming biopic—which follows Dylan's career from his arrival to New York City as an unnamed 19-year-old to the pinnacles of his superstardom—is executive produced by Dylan, known for being abrupt and prickly himself.