Timothee Chalamet has boldly claimed “I’m the hardest working man”, following his discussion on a significant sacrifice he undertook for the anticipated Bob Dylan film.
Chalamet steps into the shoes of the iconic singer-songwriter in A Complete Unknown, set to hit UK cinema screens on January 17. The movie chronicles Dylan’s ascent to stardom during the 1960s and delves into the electric uproar that marked part of his career.
The 28-year-old shared details about his rigorous five-year stint preparing for the role on comedian Theo Von’s podcast, ‘This Last Weekend’. In the wide-ranging 90-minute interview, the Oscar-nominated actor provided a glimpse into the three-month intense filming process, using what he called “method energy.”
Von prodded Chalamet about the steepest hill he had to climb in his portrayal, especially since he also played ping pong ace Marty Reisman in the biopic, Marty Supreme.
Discussing the formidable challenge of embodying Bob Dylan, Chalamet confessed: “The biggest journey was the music and the voice and also I’ve never had my phone off the entire movie,” reports the Mirror.
Elaborating further on why this level of commitment was essential, he conveyed: “I had three months to play this guy and the rest of my life I would never get to play him again. So I was locked in.”
In addition, he addressed the competitive aspect within himself, saying: “Also, you’re never supposed to say you’re competitive, but you know there’s been a lot of music biopics and I wanted to do a great f****** job man, I love Bob Dylan. I love this artist; none of this is for granted.”
“No cell phones, nothing that reminds you of the present and [I] tried to treat it like Bob Dylan as much as possible,” he later concluded.
The lead actor from Dune disclosed on a recent podcast episode that during the filming of the drama, he deliberately distanced himself from friends and family as part of his immersive approach to the role.
He elaborated on the reasoning for his intense method: “If you give a f*** about what you’re doing, these are long a** days. These are 14-hour days, six days a week sometimes. I know people got it way harder, but I want to feel that grit, you know. I want to feel it and I hope people don’t laugh at it [but] I feel like I’m the hardest working man,” he asserted.
Nonetheless, Chalamet momentarily backpedalled, adding humorously: “Anyway, maybe I shouldn’t say that.”
Over the past two years, Chalamet has made a splash in major films like Dune: Part Two and Wonka. He is also involved in a sports feature currently undergoing post-production, which awaits a release date announcement.
A Complete Unknown premieres in UK cinemas on January 17