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Photo Courtesy of Vulture
On Feb. 23, Timothée Chalamet won his first Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture for starring in the latest Bob Dylan biopic: “A Complete Unknown.” Chalamet has an already stacked filmography, approaching his thirtieth birthday this year, from “Little Women” to “Dune.”
Yet, Chalamet seemed more dedicated in this awards cycle than ever before. The road to the Oscars is long and tiring — Chalamet was quite literally everywhere. He participated in ESPN College Gameday, hosted Saturday Night Live, and made an appearance in an episode of Theo Von’s podcast. It was impossible to open a social media app and not see his face.
It was this momentum that swept Chalamet headfirst into the awards season. He triumphed at the 31st Annual SAG Awards and gave a moving speech on the work that went into his role as Bob Dylan.
In a more serious tone than heard from him before, Chalamet proclaimed, “I know the classiest thing would be to downplay the effort that went into this role and how much this means to me, but the truth is this was five years of my life. I poured everything I had into playing this incomparable artist, Mr. Bob Dylan, a true American hero.”
Chalamet leaned into the microphone and continued intently, “I can't downplay the significance of this award. Cause it means the most to me. And I know we’re in a subjective business, but the truth is, I’m really in pursuit of greatness. I know people don’t usually talk like that, but I want to be one of the greats.”
“I’m inspired by the greats. I’m inspired by the greats here tonight. I’m as inspired by Daniel Day-Lewis, Marlon Brando, and Viola Davis as I am by Michael Jordan, Michael Phelps, and I want to be up there. So I’m deeply grateful. This doesn’t signify that, but it’s a little more fuel. It’s a little more ammo to keep going. Thank you so much.”
This speech was a breath of fresh air in a society that praises the attitude of not caring, glorifies the nonchalant, and makes a mockery of those with ambitious goals. People want to conform, yet it is impossible for anyone to be authentic and fulfill their passions when they hide behind the guise of not caring.
Chalamet may not have won the Oscar for Best Actor a week later on Mar. 2, but the legacy of his SAG speech overshadows that loss. Chalamet made it clear that he would not shy away from his goals despite any losses and maintained his composure after Adrien Brody was revealed as the winner for “The Brutalist.”
After all, the greats that he mentioned in his speech have also faced loss, but the dedication that Chalamet committed to his role in “A Complete Unknown” was proof that he has what it takes to succeed in future roles and strive towards the greatness that he seeks.
It's not uncommon for movies to take a few years to produce, but biopics require a higher level of dedication from the starring actor. Practicing the guitar, the harmonica, and singing, Chalamet had the daunting task of imitating the legendary Bob Dylan.
It’s easy for an actor to make a role their own, but it’s hard to do someone else’s likeness justice. However, Chalamet’s obsessive dedication exceeded expectations, even earning approval from Dylan himself.
Chalamet’s passion has already secured his status as a role model for so many people in this generation, captivating the hearts of many new fans from his extensive Oscars campaign. In the end, he is living proof that those who pretend not to care may have nothing to lose, but those who pour their heart and soul into their work have everything in the world to gain.
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