When Bob Dylan first donned his Fender Stratocaster and “went electric” at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965, it was to the ire and bewilderment of his fans. Music critic Greil Marcus described the mood “as if something precious and delicate was being dashed to the ground and stomped”. Later that year, Dylan was called “Judas!” by an audience member in Manchester for ditching the acoustic sound he was revered for. It was – as we know now – a typical Dylan move. Unpredictable, needle-pushing and undeniably Bob. “All I can do is be me, whoever that is,” he would famously tell In-Beat magazine.
It’s prudent then, that Dylan’s zillennial incarnate, one Timothée Chalamet, is following in his mercurial footsteps. While promoting his latest film A Complete Unknown, where he plays the Minnesotan legend, the 28 year old has swapped out the traditional press tour for unconventional outings. Maybe he’s had enough of the endless junkets he’s had to do for every other film he’s been a part of for the last five years. Or maybe he’s honouring Dylan in the only way he knows how: by just being himself, whoever that is.
It started with an amusing cameo at his very own lookalike contest, a New York event that started a global pop culture phenomenon. The contest garnered so much attention that it ended up with a Timothée hopeful arrested, and the gathering shut down by police. Chalamet’s impromptu appearance was lauded as “the funniest thing he could possibly have done”, and let’s be real: it was.
He visited the University of Minnesota, appeared on local television stations for interviews and even surprised a college marching band at their rehearsals. His serious knowledge of varsity football on ESPN stunned regular viewers and his die-hard fans alike, while his interview on the ever-popular This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von spanned all things Dylan, the SAG-AFTRA strikes, and marriage and divorce. He turned up to the New York premiere of A Complete Unknown in full Dylan cosplay wearing one of the musician’s most infamous looks (from the 2003 Sundance Film Festival) – even sporting a blonde wig for the occasion. Days later, he clowned around with internet comedian Brittany Broski for The Broski Report, producing enough viral moments to rival the Wicked press tour.
That’s before mentioning his brief stint in London, where he reunited with his dear friend and former co-star Saoirse Ronan for a heartwarming talk about their careers, friendship and projects past and present. Chalamet’s tapping into the zeitgeist in ways we couldn’t even imagine. He knows what the people want: nostalgia (revisiting Little Women and Lady Bird rocked my world), memes (there’s been too many to count), and looks (did we mention his divisive little ’stache?)
To be clear, Chalamet has always been a goofball. A cursory search of his digital footprint will prove this (Lil Timmy Tim you will always be famous). But there is something inspired about this new Timothéean era. He seems happier than ever before. Contented, confident, charming. He’s always had swag, but now it seems he actually believes in it.
What appeared like a series of very random choices has paid off, garnering more organic press for this film than any traditional media circuit would have. It’s refreshing. For the past couple of years, we’ve been inundated with over-the-top press tours. Between Barbie, Challengers, and Wicked, it was hard to keep up with the method dressing and teary interviews.
Chalamet is breaking the mould, though. It won’t be long before other big studios copy his genius PR strategy. Who knows where the next stop on this press tour will be; honestly, it’s A Complete Unknown.
