Timothée Chalamet Gets Mixed Reviews for His Impression of Bob Dylan's Singing Voice in 'A Complete Unknown' Biopic
For months, fans were only able to get photo glimpses of Timothée Chalamet portraying Bob Dylan in the upcoming biopic A Complete Unknown, but on Wednesday, July 24, the movie finally released a teaser trailer.
The nearly two-minute long clip debuted the actor not only talking like the Grammy winner, but also embodying his guitar skills and singing "A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall" — though the latter left social media divided.
"That singing ain’t it 😭😭😭," one person tweeted in reaction, while another said, "I am not a high fan of his singing here but I am hyped for him 😍😍😍."
Others thought the negative criticism came from people being unfamiliar with Dylan's music, as one fan raved the Oscar nominee, 28, "absolutely nailed the voice."
"Holy s--- he sounds just like him," another social media user declared, while some individuals guessed that even though it's Chalamet's voice, it may have been digitally enhanced to sound more like the "Mr. Tambourine Man" crooner, 83.
The Wonka lead previously discussed the hardships of portraying a real-life person, noting he was inspired by Austin Butler's performance in Elvis while preparing.
"There’s a wonderful dialect coach named Tim Monich. Vocal coach named Eric Vetro. Movement coach named Polly Bennett. I just saw the way [Butler] committed to it all — and realized I needed to step it up," Chalamet previously told GQ.
- Timewarp? Timothée Chalamet Looks Unrecognizable in 1950s Garb as He Films 'Marty Supreme' in NYC
- Kylie Jenner Hugs Boyfriend Timothée Chalamet's Sister Pauline After Closing Out Coperni's Show During Paris Fashion Week Debut: Photos
- Kylie Jenner and Timothée Chalamet's Relationship Timeline: How the Romance Started, Their Current Status and More
Want OK! each day? Sign up here!
Vetro told the magazine that playing the musician isn't actually about perfectly mimicking Dylan.
"It’s taking on all the characteristics of Dylan’s voice and his mannerisms and his speech patterns, and bringing that into the music — so that when you hear Timothée do the music, what you’re really getting is the essence of Bob Dylan," he explained. "You’re not getting an impersonation of him. It’s breathing new life into that voice that we know so well."
To help get into the right mindset, Chalamet read the songwriter's 2004 autobiography, Chronicles: Volume One.
"You need your ability to imagine, your ability to observe, and your ability to experience," the Dune star shared. "And if any one of those is compromised, your ability to create is compromised in some way."
The NYC native also admitted that he didn't want to meet Dylan before auditioning for the role "for superstitious reasons," though it's unclear if he ever went on to meet the star.
A Complete Unknown — which also stars Elle Fanning and Edward Norton — is scheduled to hit theaters this December.