Timothee Chalamet Reveals Exactly How Much Weight He Had to Gain to Play Bob Dylan

Entertainment gossip and news from Newsweek's network of contributors

Timothée Chalamet's slight frame is one of the many things that have made the Oscar nominee stand out in Hollywood. But when it came the Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown, the 29-year-old actor had to make some changes.

Despite the fact that Dylan, now 83, was known for being quite skinny himself, Chalamet revealed he gained "20 pounds" for the role. "Believe it or not, I was thinner than the guy," the Dune actor said on an episode of NPR's All Things Considered. Host Ailsa Chang noted, "You had to fatten up to become Bob Dylan. That's hilarious."

Timothee Chalamet attends the UK Premiere of Searchlight Pictures' "A Complete Unknown" at BFI Southbank on January 14, 2025 in London, England. Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images for The Walt Disney Company Limited

Chalamet, who played both guitar and harmonica and sang in the film, revealed that he did a lot of research and physical preparation for the role, but referred to the process more as "osmosis" than as a checklist of things he had to learn. "I don't have a ruler with different sections of stuff that I'm learning. I really try to do it all at once," he explained. "That said, I've, like I said, I've turned over every stone. I did all the work, like you just described, physicality, behavior-wise."

One thing the Lady Bird star did not get to do as part of his research was meet Dylan himself.

"I wanted to [meet Dylan,]" Chalamet explained. "I was careful about the way I reached out and not to be presumptuous. I saw him live. I've seen him live twice. And that was - I don't want to say helpful enough. It would have been great to, but it was super educational just to see his energy observed from a distance, you know?"

Dylan did consent to meet with director James Mangold, who explained in the All Things Considered interview that after meeting by "happenstance," they "spent a half day together alone in a coffee shop during lockdown."

When Chalamet's casting was announced, Dylan wrote on X (formerly Twitter) to express his approval for the choice. "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 wrote.

Chalamet looked back fondly at that moment. "I love that post 'cause it's so in Bob's voice," he said.

Slide Circle to Vote

No Moderately Yes

VOTE