A surprise Academy Award nomination forA Complete Unknownmeans that Timothée Chalamet’s chances of winning Best Actor at the2025 Oscarsjust got a lot higher. Whenthe 2025 Oscar nominations were announced, Chalamet received a nod for Best Actor as expected. But the film also received seven other nominations, including Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay.A Complete Unknownis one of the most nominated films at the ceremony; it’s tied withConclavefor the fourth most nominations behindEmilia Pérez,The Brutalist, andWicked.
Chalamet was previously nominated for Best Actor in 2018 for his turn inCall Me by Your Name, but he lost to Gary Oldman’s performance as Winston Churchill inDarkest Hour. But it seems like 2025 could be Chalamet’s year. He’s gotten some of the best reviews of his career forhis pitch-perfect portrayal of Bob Dylan— he fully embodies the folk music legend, from his distinctive voice to his mysterious aura — and the Academy has a history of awarding actors for playing iconic musicians.
A Complete Unknown’s Best Director Nomination Strengthens Timothée Chalamet’s Best Actor Hopes
James Mangold’s Nomination Shows How Much The Academy Loves This Movie
James Mangold’s nomination for Best Directorwas a bit of a surprise.Conclave’s Edward Berger was expected to snag a Best Director nod, but he’s been snubbed in favor of Mangold. That, combined with the film’s other seven nominations, showsthere’s plenty of support forA Complete Unknown— the Academy clearly loves this movie. Given that it’s less likely to win any of the other major awards,that support coalescing around Chalamet as Best Actor would make sense.
Is Timothée Chalamet The Real Oscars Favorite Now?
After The Brutalist’s A.I. Controversy, Chalamet Has Become The Favorite
As it stands, Chalamet is, indeed, the current favorite to win Best Actor.The Brutalisthas more nominations, andAdrien Brody was the former favorite in the Best Actor category, butThe Brutalist’s A.I. controversycould hurt Brody’s chances. The filmmakers have admitted that they used A.I. to enhance his performance, which the Academy might frown upon.Sebastian Stan was a surprise nomination, so he’s unlikely to actually clinch the award (and he was arguably nominated for the wrong film).
Colman Domingo has been a bit of an outsiderandSing Sing, despite being a great movie met with universal acclaim, hasn’t gotten much love. As awards season continues and the smaller ceremonies take place,Ralph Fiennes could gain momentumfor his performance inConclave. But right now, the top contender to win Best Actor at the2025 Oscarsis Chalamet — and after his incredible turn inA Complete Unknown, he’s more than deserving of the honor.
