Why Timothée Chalamet Went 3 Months Without a Phone While Filming Biopic ‘A Complete Unknown’

While filming ‘A Complete Unknown’, Timothée Chalamet gave his everything to the role of Bob Dylan, including going three months without using his phone.

The 29-year-old actor revealed in a recently released interview on ‘This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von’ that prior to this production, he had never switched off his phone throughout a full filming session. However, he gave his all to the Dylan biography, aware that he had a limited amount of time to portray the iconic performer.

Chalamet clarified that he was committed to his character and wanted to honour Dylan’s memory. He felt under pressure to give an exceptional performance because there had been so many music biopics in recent years. The endeavour was rewarding because of his passion for Dylan, and he wanted to push himself to make sure he did the folk legend right.

Image Courtesy: Getty Images

Chalamet remembered in a December 2024 Rolling Stone interview that he didn’t want any outside distractions during the filming process. After years of preparation, he regarded it as a unique chance and wanted to focus all of his energy on it. He acknowledged that he would have regretted missing a pivotal point in the role because of outside distractions.

‘A Complete Unknown’, which was directed by James Mangold, chronicles Dylan’s travel to New York City at the age of 19 in the early 1960s. The cast of the movie is full of celebrities, including Boyd Holbrook, Elle Fanning, Monica Barbaro, and Edward Norton.

In a 60-minute interview, Chalamet reflected on the experience and stated he had never approached a role with such passion. He knew he wouldn’t be able to forgive himself for being careless or distracted on set, and he felt a strong need to respect the content.

The movie ‘A Complete Unknown’ is currently showing in theatres.

–Farheen Ali