Timothée Chalamet Points Out THIS Subtle Link Between Bob Dylan and Dune: 'Be Wary of...'

Timothée Chalamet sees similarities between Bob Dylan's lyrics and Dune's caution about saviors. Read on to know what the actor said.

Written by Ipshita Chakraborty , Entertainment Journalist

Updated on Feb 15, 2025 | 01:19 PM IST | 13.3K

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A Complete Unknown star Timothée Chalamet recently spoke about Bob Dylan's lyrical activism. He linked the philosophy of the singer to Dune's message during a press conference at the Berlin Film Festival.

Chalamet, who stars as Dylan in the James Mangold-helmed biopic, said that both Dylan's music and Frank Herbert's Dune novel contain a warning about following charismatic leaders blindly. According to Deadline, he spoke about the need to question savior-like figures, something that is found in the work of both Dylan and Herbert.

While Dylan's songs frequently contained political overtones without explicit activism, Dune cautions against the risks of messianic leaders: "Be wary of cult-like figures."

The film follows Dylan's early days as a Minnesota musician to a global radical musical legend and dramatizes his frustrations with the folk movement. Chalamet said, "I won’t speak for him [Bob Dylan] because he’s alive and well in Malibu, but my interpretation is just be wary of any savior-like figures."

The Call Me by Your Name actor explained, "Frank Herbert’s Dune, which was written in the same period of American history, granted, Frank Herbert was on the West Coast, probably doing acid at a typewriter, and Bob Dylan was on the East Coast. But the messaging was still similar."

Chalamet also explained his method of choosing roles. He brushed aside an overly intellectual process, saying that he just looks for great directors. His body of work features collaborations with Greta Gerwig in Little Women and Lady Bird, David Michôd in The King, Luca Guadagnino in Call Me by Your Name, Denis Villeneuve in Dune, and more. He emphasized the need to keep creative spontaneity, not over-analyze, and remain receptive to the art.

A Complete Unknown is nominated for eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Chalamet as Best Actor. The film stars Timothée Chalamet with Elle Fanning, Edward Norton, Monica Barbaro, and Boyd Holbrook, among others, and has been a box-office hit, reportedly grossing over 100 million USD worldwide.