Edward Norton’s A Complete Unknown Performance & Oscar Nomination Is Even More Impressive Thanks To This Detail

Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for A Complete Unknown!

The special features of A Complete Unknown shares one detail that makes Edward Norton’s performance and Oscar nomination more impressive. A Complete Unknown has quickly become one of the most popular Bob Dylan movies, telling the story of his life in the early 1960s. Since before its release, I’ve covered A Complete Unknown for Screen Rant, even attending an early access showing with an exclusive Q&A. The project is, without a doubt, one of the best music biopics of the last decade.

Each of the actors deserves recognition for their great performances. However, one actor stands out to me after watching “The Making of A Complete Unknown,” which comes with the digital version of A Complete Unknown. More than anyone else in the film, Edward Norton impresses me. His performance was already engaging even without the behind-the-scenes information, but one detail about how he became Pete Seeger in A Complete Unknown highlights his strength as an actor.

Edward Norton Had Less Time To Prepare For His Role Than His Co-Stars

Edward Norton Was Brought Onto A Complete Unknown As A Last-Minute Casting Change

“The Making of A Complete Unknown” reveals that Edward Norton had significantly less time to prepare for his role than his co-stars Timothée Chalamet and Monica Barbaro. During the Q&A with the cast, Chalamet said he spent five years preparing to play Bob Dylan. Meanwhile, Monica Barbaro prepared to play Joan Baez over the course of a year. Given how long they worked on these characters, their incredible performances make sense.

However, the film only brought on Edward Norton after the Hollywood strikes, since Benedict Cumberbatch backed out of the project. This gave the actor much less time to get into the head of Pete Seeger and learn the banjo. He was cast in late January 2024, and A Complete Unknown started filming in mid-March 2024. Considering he only had a fraction of the time to prepare, Norton could’ve easily given a less engaging performance than his co-stars, but he didn’t.

I’m thoroughly impressed with Norton. In a matter of a couple of months, he captured the essence of Pete Seeger, successfully replicating his voice, mannerisms, and musical style. His acting conveyed humility, authenticity, and honesty. Moreover, it’s exciting that he received an Oscar nomination alongside Chalamet and Barbaro, who both had more time to delve into the real-life inspirations for their A Complete Unknown characters.

Edward Norton’s Passion For The Role Made Up For His Lack Of Time

Edward Norton Has A Deep Appreciation For Pete Seeger

Besides Edward Norton’s strong acting abilities, the most significant contributing factor to his fantastic performance is the passion he felt for the role. In “The Making of A Complete Unknown,” the actor revealed that the music drew him into the role. Norton studied videos of Pete Seeger, focused on mastering the songs in the film, and learned about the actor’s political activism. He felt a deep respect for the real-life person who inspired the A Complete Unknown character.

The actor, who is an activist himself, revealed to Y! Entertainment that he specifically felt massive admiration for Seeger’s activism and hoped the viewers would look deeper into the singer after watching A Complete Unknown. Speaking of the artists of that time period, Edward Norton said, “They were in it to try to use music as an instrument of change, and not to just get famous and rich. You know what I mean?”

Related

How Bob Dylan Feels About A Complete Unknown: What He’s Said & How Involved He Was

Bob Dylan has voiced his own opinion about James Mangold’s successful biopic, A Complete Unknown, and he was even involved in part of the process.

Another step he took to understand Pete Seeger was speaking to Pete Seeger’s friends and family, including the real Joan Baez, to get inside the singer’s head. Unsurprisingly, he said in the behind-the-scenes video that nobody had a bad word to say about Pete Seeger. Ultimately, it didn’t matter that he only had a fraction of the time that others had to prepare. His deep understanding and reverence for Pete Seeger is visible in A Complete Unknown.

Why Edward Norton Probably Won’t Win The 2025 Oscar For Best Supporting Actor

The Best Supporting Actor Oscar Will Undoubtedly Go To Kieran Culkin

Despite giving a stellar performance in A Complete Unknown, the chances of Edward Norton winning the 2025 Oscar for Best Supporting Actor are minimal, as Kieran Culkin is almost guaranteed to win his performance as Benji Kaplan in A Real Pain. The three best awards shows to look at when predicting the Oscar winners are – in order from least to most important– the Golden Globes, the BAFTAs, and the SAG Awards. Culkin took home all three of those awards in addition to a Critics’ Choice Award, a Spirit Award, and a National Board of Review Award.

This awards sweep essentially guarantees Kieran Culkin the Best Supporting Actor Oscar. In the unprecedented event that Culkin doesn’t take the award, Jeremy Strong is the next most likely contender to win. Unfortunately, Edward Norton really doesn’t stand a chance. This doesn’t minimize his performance in A Complete Unknown, though, as Norton fully deserved the Best Supporting Actor nomination. The nominations for this award are packed with excellent actors, and I can’t think of a single person nominated for the award who doesn’t deserve it. Sadly, it can only go to one person.