Oscar Isaac has opened up about his initial doubts surrounding Timothée Chalamet’s portrayal of Bob Dylan in the upcoming biopic A Complete Unknown. During the Visionary Tribute Award presentation to director James Mangold and Chalamet, Isaac shared his honest reaction to learning about the role.
The Moon Knight star recalled the moment Chalamet revealed his plans to step into the shoes of the legendary singer-songwriter. “He starts telling us about his next project,” Isaac began. “A movie with the wonderful director James Mangold about a young Bob Dylan coming to New York in 1961. My first thought? ‘It sounds like a really bad idea.’ I mean, it’s Dylan—it’s the holy of holies for me. It just didn’t sound right.”
Chalamet’s passion for the role, however, quickly became evident when he picked up a guitar during their conversation. “Then Timmy takes out his guitar—not a good sign—and starts playing Girl from the North Country,” Isaac recounted with humor.
Though initially skeptical, Isaac and his friends were moved by the young actor’s genuine connection to the music. “Josh, Steven, and I—we’re not your average Timmy Chalamet groupies. We’re grizzled movie vets. We’ve seen some stuff,” he joked.
Despite Chalamet being new to the guitar and singing, Isaac said his performance transcended inexperience. “It wasn’t like he was learning something new. It was like he was rediscovering something he’d always known,” he explained.
Isaac highlighted the transformative nature of the moment. “Steven smiled and said, ‘Yeah, baby.’ The three of us just sat there watching this young man connect with something mysterious.”
Closing his speech, Isaac emphasized the timelessness of Dylan’s artistry. “That is the nature of folk music. To quote the great Llewyn Davis, ‘If it never gets old and it was never new, it’s a folk song.'”
Directed by James Mangold, A Complete Unknown will explore the formative years of Bob Dylan’s rise to fame. With Chalamet at the helm, the film is highly anticipated as both a tribute to and a reimagining of the folk music legend’s journey.
