Timothee Chalamet says he's deeply impressed by 'impactful' Bob Dylan despite not having met him

NEW YORK CITY NEW YORK: Timothee Chalamet is set to portray Bob Dylan in the upcoming biopic 'A Complete Unknown', which explores the legendary musician's career, including his groundbreaking 1965 performance at the Newport Folk Festival.

The actor has admitted he was unaware of Bob Dylan's profound influence on the music industry until he accepted the role. Chalamet has since grown to admire Dylan's legacy and now considers this project one of his most cherished achievements.

Timothee Chalamet praises Bob Dylan: 'I worship at the church of Bob'

Speaking on The Graham Norton Show, Timothee Chalamet shared his newfound appreciation for Bob Dylan after working on the film.

"I didn't know much about Dylan but now, having worked on it for so long, I really worship at the church of Bob," Chalamet said as Mirror reported. 

The New York-born actor also admitted that Dylan's influence has left a lasting impression on him.

"I am deeply passionate about this man and his work. My friends are tired of hearing me talk about him ad nauseam," the actor added.

Reflecting further, Chalamet expressed pride in the role, adding, "This man has been so impactful on culture, and this film and this role are the ones I am most proud of."

Despite his admiration, Chalamet has yet to meet Dylan, describing him as an "elusive mysterious figure" and "a man of few words." Chalamet added, "I am very respectful that it is true to his character that I would never get to meet him."

Bob Dylan praises Timothee Chalamet as 'brilliant actor'

Although the two have not met, Bob Dylan has shown support for Timothee Chalamet's portrayal.

In a social media post, Dylan acknowledged the upcoming biopic, saying, "There's a movie about me opening soon called A Complete Unknown (what a title!)."

"Timothee Chalamet is starring in the lead role. Timmy's a brilliant actor so I'm sure he's going to be completely believable as me. Or a younger me. Or some other me," he added.

He said, "The film's taken from Elijah Wald's Dylan Goes Electric – a book that came out in 2015. It's a fantastic retelling of events from the early '60s that led up to the fiasco at Newport. After you've seen the movie read the book."

Production on the biopic was initially set to begin in 2019 but faced delays due to the coronavirus pandemic and later the actors' strike.

Reflecting on the delays, Chalamet said, "I was confident about singing and by the time we got to do the film I wanted to sing and play the songs live."