Timothée Chalamet’s A Complete Unknown Prep Took Five Years—Including a 20-Pound Weight Gain: 'I Did All the Work'

Timothée Chalamet's A Complete Unknown role required intense prep and weight gain. Read on to know the details.

Written by Ipshita Chakraborty , Entertainment Journalist

Published on Jan 29, 2025 | 12:53 PM IST | 19.6K

CC: Getty Images

Timothée Chalamet revealed he went through 5 years of preparation for the Bob Dylan role and gained 20 lbs to portray the legendary folk singer/songwriter in A Complete Unknown.

In an interview for NPR's All Things Considered on January 20, Chalamet spoke of how he immersed himself in the character. This included more than vocal and manner training, as he gained weight as part of a full commitment to Dylan's image.

Expected to last four months, Chalamet's preparation ran for nearly five years as production was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. It extended the time Chalamet had in order to refine his portrayal, mastering Dylan's distinct singing and playing style as well as studying his movements.

He said, "I've turned over every stone. I did all the work, like you just described, physically and behaviorally. But something we haven't really talked about is that I also put on 20 pounds because, believe it or not, I was thinner than the guy, you know?"

The Little Women actor said that he needed to change his body as well as his technique. Even though Dylan was known for his thin frame, Chalamet was thinner and had to gain weight to look more like the singer. Director James Mangold confirmed this surprising detail, which brought a chuckle during the interview. He said, "You had to fatten up to become Bob Dylan. That's hilarious."

Beyond the physical and technical elements, Chalamet characterized his process with Dylan as deeply immersive; he put himself in the musician's work organically. Chalamet explained, "It was really a process of osmosis. You know, I don't have categories. I don't have a ruler with different sections of stuff that I'm learning. I really try to do it all at once, and my way in was the music."

Timothée Chalamet's performance was enough to receive an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor, making him the youngest two-time nominee in the category since James Dean. A Complete Unknown is playing in theaters everywhere.