Timothee Chalamet, left, winner of the award for outstanding performance by a male actor in a leading role for ‘A Complete Unknown’
| Photo Credit: AP
Timothée Chalamet has officially made SAG Awards history. The A Complete Unknown star won Best Actor at Sunday’s ceremony, becoming the youngest recipient of the award at 29.
Chalamet’s win for his portrayal of Bob Dylan marks his first individual SAG victory after previous nominations for Call Me by Your Name (2017) and Beautiful Boy (2018). Accepting the award, he acknowledged the long road to bringing Dylan to the screen. “This was five and a half years of my life,” he said. “I poured everything I had into playing this incomparable artist, Mr. Bob Dylan, a true American hero, and it was the honor of a lifetime playing him.”
“I know we’re in a subjective business, but the truth is, I’m really in pursuit of greatness,” Chalamet said while accepting his award. “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. I’m as inspired by Daniel Day, Lewis, Marlon, Brando and Viola Davis as I am by Michael Jordan, Michael Phelps, and I want to be up there. So I’m deeply grateful. This doesn’t signify that, but it’s a little more fuel. it’s a little more ammo to keep going. Thank you so much.”
His win surpasses the previous youngest Best Actor SAG winner, Nicolas Cage, who was 32 when he won for Leaving Las Vegas in 1995. However, it remains to be seen whether this will translate into an Oscar victory. Chalamet faces stiff competition from Adrien Brody (The Brutalist), who still holds the record as the youngest-ever Best Actor winner at the Academy Awards.
Chalamet’s win also stands out in the context of award season trends. He is only the third actor to take home the SAG Best Actor trophy after losing at the Golden Globes, Critics Choice, and BAFTAs—joining Johnny Depp (Pirates of the Caribbean) and Denzel Washington (Fences).
Timothee Chalamet, left, winner of the award for outstanding performance by a male actor in a leading role for ‘A Complete Unknown,’ and mother, Nicole Flender pose during the 31st annual Screen Actors Guild Awards
| Photo Credit:
JORDAN STRAUSS
His competition on Sunday included Oscar nominees Ralph Fiennes (Conclave) and Colman Domingo (Sing Sing), as well as Daniel Craig (Queer), who was left out of the Academy’s lineup in favor of Sebastian Stan (The Apprentice).
With Oscar voting having closed before the SAG Awards, the impact of Chalamet’s win remains uncertain. Historically, no actor has won Best Actor at the Oscars with only a SAG victory as their major precursor.
Published – February 24, 2025 09:27 am IST
