Bob Dylan acted out entire script for his own biopic before major star was cast

Singer Bob Dylan wasn’t going to let his life story be told without careful consideration first — which meant acting out the entire thing.

A Complete Unknown follows Bob’s rise to fame in the 60s as he causes controversy in the folk music world and his personal life suffers.

Timothée Chalamet will star as the legendary musician, using his own vocals to imitate the End Of The Line hitmaker.

Before the 28-year-old star secured the role, Bob went through the script line by line to ensure it was true to his life.

Producer Peter Jaysen revealed on The Town Podcast that the 83-year-old singer met with director James Mangold ‘multiple times’ throughout the process.

‘At one point they sat there and they read the entire script out loud, with Jim [Mangold], reading every part and stage direction, and Bob Dylan only reading lines of dialogue for himself,’ he shared.

Bob Dylan went through the A Complete Unkown script line by line (Picture: Gary Miller/Getty Images)

The lead role eventually went to Timothee Chalamet (Picture: METROPOLIS/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)

‘Through that process, [Bob] sat there writing notes on the script. At the end of the last session with Jim, he signed the script and said, “Go with God.”’

Peter points out that the Handle With Care icon didn’t have the ‘final cut’ or script approval but had significant involvement.

Timothée previously said he has begged James for that signed and annotated script but he’ll ‘never get his hands on it’.

The Dune star took a very dedicated approach to becoming the music legend isolating himself entirely for three months.

‘No visitors, no friends, no reps, no nothing,’ he told Rolling Stone. ‘It sounds pretentious but panic fueled me.

‘I didn’t want to lose a moment of discovery as the character because of my phone or any distraction, so while I was in it, that was my eternal focus.’

He spent five years preparing for the role (Picture: SEARCHLIGHT PICTURES)

The film comes out in the UK in January (Picture: Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)

He said he had just three months to play Bob after five years of preparations and didn’t want to mess it up.

Timothée added: ‘God forbid I missed a step because I was being Timmy. I could be Timmy for the rest of my life!’

The Little Women actor certainly celebrated the film’s release enthusiastically, going on Instagram live in a hip-thrusting, guitar-smashing, confetti-filled tribute.

His moves included crawling on the floor and shooting a confetti cannon from his crotch with congratulations written on a huge screen behind him.

He also soaked his hair in a sink before heading outside the sound stage, still shirtless, into the rainy loading dock and train track.

A Complete Unknown is in cinemas in the UK on January 17, 2025.

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