Joan Baez shared her admiration for Monica Barbaro’s performance in the biopic A Complete Unknown, which explores the life of Bob Dylan. She praised the actress’s dedication, saying her hard work was evident in her portrayal.

In an interview with the Marin Independent Journal, Baez congratulated Barbaro for capturing even her signature gestures. “If I didn’t think she was good, I probably wouldn’t have enjoyed it at all. But she looked a lot like me and mimicked my mannerisms. You could tell who she was. She worked so hard. Kudos to her for taking on the role,” Baez said.

Barbaro has been nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as the young Joan Baez, depicting the period when she met Dylan and became part of his rise to fame.

The film also portrays their brief romantic relationship, which is said to have begun during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962. Commenting on this scene, Baez jokingly remarked, “It was pleasantly short.” She also shared her granddaughter’s reaction to the movie: “She said, ‘I don’t want to see my grandma in a film.’”

Baez reflected on her time with Dylan, particularly their involvement in the 1960s folk movement and activism. “I wanted him to be out there marching and protesting with me,” she admitted. “He didn’t want to, and I couldn’t just accept that. It wasn’t fair of me to expect more from him, because he was already such a powerful force, and his songs were incredible. It took me 50 years to realize that his music alone was enough.”

Timothée Chalamet as Bob Dylan: A Different Look, but the Same Magnetic Presence

Baez also commented on Timothée Chalamet’s portrayal of Dylan, noting that while he looked less “disheveled” than the real-life musician, he captured his undeniable charisma. “That’s how it was—when he entered the room, he took all the oxygen,” she said, adding that his presence often overshadowed her own, a dynamic the film accurately portrays.

Barbaro spent nearly six months perfecting her performance, studying Baez’s vocal style and guitar technique. Reproducing Baez’s “complex and very specific” folk singing style was particularly challenging, but she overcame her doubts with Baez’s support.

“I felt emotional hearing her voice on the phone because I had been studying her so intensely in her twenties,” Barbaro revealed. “She told me, ‘I’m here, I’m open, ask me anything.’ I’m truly grateful for her generosity.”