On February 23, 2025, Oscar nominee and 29-year-old actor Timothée Chalamet received the award for ‘Male Actor In a Leading Role’ at the Screen Actors Guild Awards (SAG). Just over a week before the Oscars, Chalamet humbly received this award for his performance in the film, “A Complete Unknown,” a biopic written about the rise to fame of America’s beloved folk singer/songwriter, Bob Dylan. Prior to the shooting of the film, Chalamet spent significant amounts of time learning about him, singing his songs and truly embodying Dylan.
“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 and a half years of my life,” Chalamet said in his SAG acceptance speech.
He wasted no time in his speech, immediately thanking his mother who accompanied him that night, as well as the rest of the cast that he worked alongside in the production of this film, highlighting the performances of co-stars Monica Barbaro, Elle Fanning and Edward Norton.
“It’s an honor I share with Monica, Elle, Edward, the entire cast who in a genre, doing a biopic that could be perhaps tired.” Chalamet said. “Everyone gave it their all. So I’m deeply grateful to them.”
Timothée Chalamet is notoriously a tremendous young actor, having been a muse for director Luca Guadagnino and showcasing unforgettable performances in his films and many others. Alongside Guadagnino, director James Mangold gave Chalamet a difficult, yet an absolutely accomplishable role in “A Complete Unknown,” allowing him to explore and tell the story of Dylan.
“…I know we’re in a subjective business, but the truth is I’m really in pursuit of greatness,” Chalamet said. “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.”
Having so much more of his career ahead of him, Chalamet has the absolute potential to be considered as one of the greats; it seems as though he could already be considered as such. Throughout the duration of his speech, his ambition, desire and determination to be – as he states – “one of the greats” is poured out through his words.
“This doesn’t signify that,” Chalamet said as he held his award, “but it’s a little more fuel, it’s a little more ammo to keep going. Thank you so much.”
Since breaking the ice with Guadagnino’s 2017 film, Call Me By Your Name, Chalamet has caught the attention of many members of The Academy, as he was the youngest Oscar nominee in almost 80 years for “Best Actor.”
At this year’s 97th annual Oscar’s, Chalamet was nominated once again for this award, but unfortunately was surpassed by Adrien Brody’s performance in “The Brutalist”. Knowing that his pursuit of greatness is strong, he has every opportunity to be back at this ceremony in the future, hopefully coming home with an Oscar, and the chance to recite another significant speech for the world to be inspired by.
