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Finally, the star of the recent Bob Dylan biopic, A Complete Unknown, Monica Barbaro, has met the real-life Joan Baez. Previously, the “Diamonds and Rust” singer complimented Barbaro's performance of her in James Mangold's Timothée Chalamet-led movie.
On Saturday, February 8, 2025, the Sweet Relief Musicians Fund celebrated Baez. She performed her signature song, “Diamonds and Rust,” during the show.
Barbaro got to meet Baez at the show. She took to Instagram to share photos of the two together backstage. She also shared two video clips in her post — one of Baez singing “Diamonds and Rust” and one of her telling a funny story to the crowd.
“A beautiful night in so many ways,” Barbaro raved in her post. “Absolutely surreal. Joan. You’re a legend.”
It was a special moment for Barbaro, who earned an Oscar nomination for her portrayal of Baez. She is up for Best Supporting Actress at the Oscars and is one of three nominated performances from the movie.
Chalamet and Edward Norton, who play Bob Dylan and Pete Seeger, respectively, are up for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor for their work.
Baez recently discussed Barbaro's performance in A Complete Unknown. Her enjoyment of the movie hinged on Barbaro's performance. Luckily, she knocked it out of the park.
“I loved what she did in the film,” Baez said. “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.”
Monica Barbaro as Joan Baez in the Bob Dylan biopic, A Complete Unknown
A Complete Unknown depicts Bob Dylan's (Timothée Chalamet) rise in the folk scene. While he is becoming the biggest star in the genre, he meets another budding star, Joan Baez (Monica Barbaro).
He is dating Sylvie Russo, played by Elle Fanning and based on Dylan's real-life ex-girlfriend Suze Rutolo, which complicates things. The movie shows the complex love triangle they are in.
As Dylan's career blossoms, he begins experimenting with electrically amplified music, much to the folk scene's dismay. This led to his infamous performance at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival, where he performed songs like “Maggie's Farm” and “Like a Rolling Stone.”
Aside from Chalamet and Barbaro, Fanning, Norton, and Boyd Holbrook also star in A Complete Unknown. Holbrook plays another legendary singer, Johnny Cash.
Previously, James Mangold, who directed A Complete Unknown, also directed Walk the Line, a Johnny Cash biopic. Joaquin Phoenix played the “Ring of Fire” singer in the movie. Like Chalamet, he earned a Best Actor nomination for his performance. Overall, the Bob Dylan biopic is up for eight Oscars.
A Complete Unknown has grossed over $96 million worldwide at the box office. It is nearing the $100 million milestone and should hit it in the coming days.
It opened on December 25, 2024, in the United States. A Complete Unknown grossed $11.6 million during its domestic opening weekend. It made $7.2 million on its opening day alone.
