Bob Dylan is an artist no other, often regarded as one of the most incredible songwriters to walk on this planet. His music was not just for your everyday enjoyment. Instead, he created thought-provoking pieces that often revolved around politics, philosophy, and more. Needless to say, Bob Dylan’s contributions to the music industry will never be forgotten. Not even after he is long gone.
A man of his caliber deserves to have his inspirational story told to the mainstream audience. This is why, actor Timothée Chalamet has taken it upon himself to bring Bob Dylan’s story to the screens in an upcoming biopic of the singer. However, when Bob Dylan was once asked which actor he’d want to star in his biopic, Timothée Chalamet was not one of his choices.
The Two Actors Bob Dylan Wanted in His Biopic
Bob Dylan is one of the lucky few who not only gets to have a biopic made on them but also be alive to witness the magic being created. Director James Mangold will be directing A Complete Unknown which will be based on a particular part of Dylan’s extraordinary life and the singer will be played by Dune actor, Timothée Chalamet.
Years before the biopic was announced, Dylan was asked about the lead casting for his future biopic, should it ever become a reality. In an interview (via Far Out Magazine), the License to Kill singer talked about “a couple of actors I’d like to play me,” and without giving a reason, Dylan gave two names – Billy Dee Williams (The Empire Strikes Back) and Mickey Rooney (Breakfast at Tiffany’s).
During the time of this particular interview, Rooney was in his nineties and passed away just a couple of years later. Williams, on the other hand, is currently well into his eighties and thus, was automatically ruled out of the running. While the two actors in their prime would’ve been great as Dylan in the biopic, Chalamet isn’t a bad choice either, is he?
Bob Dylan Was Personally Involved in The Biopic
Mangold appeared for an interview on the Happy Sad Confused podcast in the middle of 2023. During their discussion, the filmmaker opened up about A Complete Unknown and revealed that Dylan himself has been very supportive of the film and has given pointers about the script.
Mangold stated,
“[Bob Dylan] has been so supportive of us making it… I’ve spent several, wonderfully charming, days in his company, just one-on-one, talking to him. I have a script that’s personally annotated by him and treasured by me. He loves movies. The first time I sat down with Bob, one of the first things he said to me was, ‘I love Cop Land.’”
According to Mangold, the reason why Dylan is so invested in the biopic is because it is not your usual “cradle to grave” film. Instead, it focuses on a very specific time in Dylan’s life when he hitchhiked all the way to New York as a seventeen-year-old, with nothing but sixteen dollars to his name. All of this was done just so young Dylan could meet singer/songwriter, Woody Guthrie.
Dylan’s life is filled with many such awe-inspiring moments. Mangold’s decision to bring the very beginning of his career to the screens seems like the perfect choice for a perfect biopic.
There is no release date for A Complete Unknown yet.
