James Mangold’s Oscar-nominated biopicA Complete Unknownstars Edward Norton as the renowned folk musician Pete Seeger, who’s best known for his work alongside Bob Dylan in the early days of the latter’s career. This is the period thatA Complete Unknownfocuses on, detailing the creation of some ofBob Dylan’s most successful songsand shining a light on Seeger’s role in the whole process.
While it was Timothée Chalamet’s scene-stealing lead performance that got the most attention out ofA Complete Unknown’s cast, Norton’s role was still an incredibly nuanced one that the story simply wouldn’t have worked without.His down-to-earth realism served as a perfect contrast to Dylan’s eccentric personality, which helped develop much of the third-act tension regarding Dylan’s decision to play an electric guitar at the Newport Folk Festival. However, Norton was only cast inA Complete Unknownbecause another acclaimed actor was forced to step back from the project.
The production process ofA Complete Unknownwas a particularly long and complex one, with James Mangold first approaching Timothee Chalamet about the project over five years before it was ultimately released. During this time,Benedict Cumberbatch was cast as Pete Seeger. However, due to scheduling conflicts that clashed with his other projects, the actor unfortunately had to step back.
9 Ways A Complete Unknown Changes Bob Dylan’s Real Life
Even though A Complete Unknown is a biopic, the 2024 movie makes changes to the real life, relationships, and career of iconic singer Bob Dylan.
The reason thatA Complete Unknowntook so long to film was partly due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which prevented the actors from coming together to film their scenes. When restrictions were finally lifted,Chalamet had already committed to Denis Villeneuve’sDunemovies- and the2023 SAG-AFTRA strikecame not too long afterward. All of these factors likely contributed to Cumberbatch’s decision to step back.
A Complete Unknown’s Pete Seeger Recasting Makes Edward Norton’s Role More Impressive
It wasn’t until January 2024 that Ed Norton was revealed to have taken over the role of Pete Seeger from Benedict Cumberbatch, meaning that the actor only had a matter of months to prepare for the part. Given the musicality that’s expected of the role,this short preparation time is even more impressive. Chalamet had several years to learn how to master Bob Dylan’s voice and play his instruments, whereasNorton had less than six months to become Pete Seeger.
Nevertheless, Norton was ultimately nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Supporting Actor category at this year’s ceremony, alongside both Timothée Chalamet and Monica Barbaro for their portrayals of Bob Dylan and Joan Baez. While every member of the film’s ensemble did a great job, Norton’s performance inA Complete Unknowndeserves even more credit for such a quick turnaround.
