Joan Baez Offers ‘Kudos’ to Monica Barbaro for Being Willing to Portray Her in ‘A Complete Unknown’
With Bob Dylan praising the talents of portrayer Timothée Chalamet back in December 2024, Joan Baez has now offered her thoughts on James Mangold’s Oscar-nominated Bob Dylan biopic “A Complete Unknown,” as well as Monica Barbaro’s depiction of her in the film.
“I loved what she did in the film,” Baez said in a recent interview with her hometown paper, the Marin Independent Journal. “If I didn’t think she was good at it, I probably wouldn’t have enjoyed it in general. But she looked enough like me and she had my gestures down. You could tell who it was. She worked so hard. Kudos to her for taking the role on.”
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Ahead of being nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the upcoming 97th Academy Awards, Barbaro spoke to IndieWire’s Ryan Lattanzio about chatting with Baez ahead of production and the release that came with realizing the iconic singer-songwriter was unfazed by a movie being made about such a pivotal moment in her life.
“I wasn’t sure if I should reach out personally,” said Barbaro. “I sort of went behind [the production’s] back and asked my agents … she agreed to it, we picked a time. It was professionally done just sort of sneakily so. … When we spoke on the phone, I was saying something to the effect of deferring to her on something. She was like, ‘I’m just in the backyard, sitting outside, watching the birds.’ I was like, yeah, you’re not wrapped up in what we say about you. This doesn’t define you in any way.”
Discussing the conversation with the Marin Independent Journal, Barbaro added, “She’s lived her life. And I can’t imagine how surreal it would be to know that someone is sort of dressing up and playing you in a movie. But she really took it in stride. She wasn’t trying to dictate in any way my response to her. She was like, ‘I’m here, I’m open and available for any question you have.’ I was really appreciative that she was so generous with me.”
In turn, Baez was appreciative that “A Complete Unknown” was able to nail one of the key ingredients that made the 1960s so unique and special.
“I thought the music was fantastic,” she said. “I may be blocking my feelings, but it’s an amusing movie. It was fun.”
One element that was difficult to handle for Baez was being reminded how Dylan, her former collaborator and lover, minimized her by being both an enigmatic figure and such an outsized personality.
“I have to come back to that’s how it was,” said Baez. “When he walked into the room, he took up all the oxygen. And so my part was always diminished in his presence. And in that sense the film is accurate.”
Though Barbaro does only have a brief part to play in “A Complete Unknown,” her performance remains a standout and one that might just earn her Oscar gold.
“A Complete Unknown” is currently in theaters from Searchlight Pictures.
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