The Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown was shut out at the Golden Globes, losing all three of the categories in which it was nominated.
Expectations were understandably high for the film entering the night, especially for its star, Timothee Chalamet, who has generated substantial awards buzz for his portrayal of Dylan. Many oddsmakers had the 29 year-old as the favorite to take home Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama, however the award instead went to Adrien Brody for The Brutalist.
READ MORE: Timothee Chalamet Spent Five Years Working on Bob Dylan Role
Edward Norton, who plays Pete Seeger in A Complete Unknown, was met a similar Golden Globes fate. He was nominated for Best Supporting Actor – Drama, but lost to Kieran Culkin for A Real Pain. Norton previously took home Golden Globe in 1997 for his captivating turn in the film Primal Fear.
The third and final nomination of the night for A Complete Unknown was Best Picture – Drama. That honor went to The Brutalist.
The Golden Globes have been good to rock biopics in recent years. In 2019, Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody earned Best Picture, while Rami Malek won Best Actor for his portrayal of frontman Freddie Mercury. A year later, Taron Egerton won Best Actor for playing Elton John in Rocketman, while John and Bernie Taupin took home the Golden Globe for Best Original Song.
Timothy Chalamet Describes ‘Unique Challenge’ of Playing Bob Dylan
While Chalamet didn’t add a Golden Globe to his trophy collection, the star has nevertheless received ample praise for his embodiment of Dylan. Chalamet previously described the part as “the most unique challenge I’ve taken on,” adding that “where my confidence came through is eventually doing all the music live.”
In preparation for the role, Chalamet worked for years with both dialect and harmonica coaches. The actor, who also served as one of the producers of A Complete Unknown, admitted to feeling a certain connection to Dylan.
“Bob wanted to be a rock ’n’ roll star – Buddy Holly, Little Richard, Elvis Presley… Equally, I wanted to be a big movie actor,” he explained during a conversation with Apple Music 1. “I’m now deep in the church of Bob, and I feel like I get this opportunity to kinda be a bridge to this music.”
Bob Dylan at the Movies: A Guide to 10 Films
“In one way I don’t consider myself a filmmaker at all. In another way I do,” Dylan once said.
Gallery Credit: Allison Rapp
