Timothée Chalamet was told he didn’t have the ‘right body’ for big movies when he was younger

Timothée Chalamet revealed that early in his career, his agent advised him to put on weight to land major blockbuster roles.

In an interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, the Oscar nominee reflected on early auditions for major movie franchises like Divergent and The Maze Runner. He said that many executives had concerns about his lanky frame, with his agent conveying that he wouldn’t be considered for leading roles in such films unless he bulked up.

“If I auditioned for The Maze Runner or Divergent, things of that variety that were popping when I was coming up, the feedback was always, ‘Oh, you don’t have the right body,’” he recalled to Lowe. “I had an agent that called me and said, ‘You got to put on weight,’ basically — not aggressively, but you know.”

Instead, he carved out his own path through indie films – including Call Me by Your Name, Lady Bird, and Little Women – which favored personal storytelling over the spectacle of big-budget franchises.

“I found my way into these very personalized movies,” he said, noting that they allowed him to flourish and find his footing. “Those were smaller budget, but very — I don’t know how else to put it — personable movies that started in this theater space. This is where I found my rhythm, my confidence, my flow, whatever you want to call it.”

He compared his underdog journey in Hollywood to the early career of Bob Dylan, whom he’s set to portray in the upcoming biopic A Complete Unknown. He said, “For [Dylan], it was folk music. He couldn’t keep a rock and roll band because they would all get hired by other kids that had more money, literally, in Minnesota.”

Chalamet takes on the role of the iconic songwriter Bob Dylan during the pivotal moment when he controversially switched to electric guitars. Directed by James Mangold, who co-wrote the script with Jay Cocks, the film is inspired by Elijah Ward’s 2015 book Dylan Goes Electric!

Chalamet’s casting as Bob Dylan was first announced in 2020, with reports at the time revealing that the Dune actor had begun guitar lessons to prepare for the role.

Director James Mangold confirmed that Chalamet would also be doing his own singing in the film. In preparation, Chalamet sought advice from Joel Coen, who had extensively researched Dylan’s world for 2013’s Inside Llewyn Davis, set in the 1960s folk music scene where Dylan’s career began.

A Complete Unknown is set for a theatrical release on December 25, 2024.