Timothée Chalamet Took Six Years to Learn This Skill for “A Complete Unknown”

Timothée Chalamet, the star who wowed us in Call Me By Your Name and Dune, has been quietly prepping for something huge. Turns out, the young star spent six years getting ready to play none other than the legendary Bob Dylan in A Complete Unknown.

And no, this wasn’t just a casual attempt at mimicking the folk-rock icon—the 28-year-old took it seriously. When the actor first signed on for the role, he didn’t know much about Bob Dylan. But after digging into Dylan’s music, life, and legacy, he became totally hooked—in the best way.

He learned classics like Blowin’ in the Wind and The Times They Are A-Changin’ and fully immersed himself in Dylan’s one-of-a-kind style. It wasn’t an overnight process either—his transformation into the legendary folk singer took years of serious dedication.

The skill Timothée Chalamet spent years mastering for A Complete Unknown

When Timothée Chalamet first signed on to play Bob Dylan, he wasn’t exactly a musician. Sure, he could probably strum a few chords on a guitar if you asked, but the idea of playing Dylan—and doing it justice—was a whole different story. So, what did he do? He went all in.

Chalamet spent six years preparing for the role. And no, we’re not exaggerating. While the film went through delays due to COVID-19 and Hollywood strikes, the actor used that extra time to get as close as possible to Dylan’s unique sound and style.

He didn’t just learn to play the guitar—he studied Bobby’s music, spent hours practicing his voice, and even worked on his movements because Dylan’s presence isn’t just in his music; it’s in the way he moves and speaks.

The transformation wasn’t easy. Chalamet worked with a team of professionals to get everything just right. He had a vocal coach, a guitar teacher, a dialect coach, and even a movement coach to help him mimic Dylan’s unmistakable mannerisms.

He even had a harmonica teacher to make sure he could pull off the classic Dylan sound. The actor also spent time listening to rare Dylan bootlegs and outtakes and became particularly obsessed with a 1963 song called Percy’s Song. In the movie, we hear him singing live—no lip-syncing or pre-recorded tracks. Chalamet told Rolling Stone:

I had to push the preparation, the bounds, almost to psychologically know I had pushed it.

Chalamet insisted on singing and playing the songs live on set, which, according to him, was the only way to capture the magic of Dylan’s music truly. His dedication paid off. By the time the cameras were rolling, he wasn’t just playing a role—he had become Bob Dylan.

Timothée Chalamet won’t release an album, even after six years of training to play guitar

Now, here’s the part that might surprise you. After all that work—six years of guitar lessons, voice coaching, and mastering Dylan’s music—Timothée Chalamet has no interest in starting a music career.

That’s right: despite being really good at it, Timmy said he will never release an album. At the premiere of A Complete Unknown, when asked by Variety if he’d ever consider putting out his own music, Chalamet quickly shut down the idea with a big “Never.”

The actor made it clear that his journey into music was solely for the purpose of the film, and once that’s over, he’s not planning on picking up a microphone for his own music career.

But that doesn’t mean the time he spent learning didn’t have its challenges. While Chalamet was already a talented actor, playing a musical legend like Dylan was a whole different level of difficulty.

And, according to Chalamet himself, his co-star, Edward Norton, had a big influence on how he approached his musical preparation. Norton encouraged him to sing the songs live, rather than relying on pre-recorded tracks. Chalamet said with a laugh:

He was always the devil in my ear telling me to do these songs live. We had these pre-records, but Edward was always sort of the counterweight to the 99 other voices that were saying not to.

While many of the other voices around him were advising against it, Norton convinced Chalamet that it was the right choice. And, looking back, Chalamet agrees. Singing live gave his performance an authenticity and rawness that wouldn’t have been possible with studio recordings.

So while Chalamet may have mastered the guitar and his Dylan-inspired singing, he’s just fine leaving the music to the professionals. Don’t expect him to drop an album anytime soon—he’s got enough on his plate with acting.

James Mangold also reflected on Timothée Chalamet’s remarkable progression

James Mangold, the director of A Complete Unknown, has seen Timothée Chalamet’s musical transformation firsthand—and even he was impressed.

When the film started, Chalamet wasn’t yet the polished musician you see in the final product. But by the time they started shooting, the Hollywood star had grown into something special. Mangold recalled (per the same source):

You’re talking about over six years. Sometimes I went, ‘Oh shit.’ Sometimes I went, ‘Oh my God.’

The director also remembered the moment when Chalamet’s performance really clicked. After a few days of shooting, Mangold said Chalamet “popped”—meaning, he fully became Bob Dylan in a way that blew everyone away.

“It’s not like this was a fast thing,” Mangold explained. “This is six years of work for him to get to the place where he can own this music.” And when you watch Chalamet sing and play in the film, you’ll see just how much work he put in.

A Complete Unknown is set to release on December 18, 2024!