American actor Timothée Chalamet got candid in his acceptance speech for Outstanding Male Actor in a Leading Role at the 31st Screen Actors Guild Awards.

This was for his critically acclaimed portrayal of Bob Dylan in the 2024 American biographical musical drama film A Complete Unknown.

Timothée did not shy away from admitting how much the award meant to him and the immense effort he put into earning it.

“I know the classiest thing would be to downplay the effort that went into this role and how much this means to me, but the truth is this was five years of my life,” he shared.

He went on to say that he gave his all in portraying the music icon and expressed how much he looks up to him.

“I poured everything I had into playing this incomparable artist, Mr. Bob Dylan. A true American hero, and it was an honor of a lifetime playing him,” the actor mentioned.

Timothée also made sure to share the honor with his co-stars, especially considering how the genre they were in tends to feel “tired” or overdone according to him.

“It’s an honor I share with Monica (Barbaro), Elle (Fanning), Edward (Norton), the entire cast, who, in a genre doing a biopic that could be perhaps tired, gave it their all. So I’m deeply grateful to them,” Timothée admitted.

At the end, the actor got more real, noting why he can’t just diminish the significance of the award and that he is indeed in pursuit of going greater.

“And lastly, I can’t downplay the significance of this award because it means the most to me. I know we’re in a subjective business, but the truth is, I’m really in pursuit of greatness. I know people don’t usually talk like that, but I want to be one of the greats,” Timothée pointed out.

He continued by mentioning some of the people he admires from different fields and how the award fuels him to strive for even more.

“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,” he shared.

Some netizens couldn’t help but comment on how different the speech was, as rising stars don’t usually spell out their ambitions so explicitly, something that is sometimes misunderstood as overconfidence. A Vulture article also described Timothée's speech as “kooky and extremely earnest.”

Timothée made history by becoming the youngest male actor to win the prestigious award at 29. Prior to his win, the record was held by Nicolas Cage, who claimed the Best Actor title at 32 in 1995 for his role in Leaving Las Vegas.

The award-winning young actor rose to fame for his portrayal of Elio, a Jewish French-Italian boy, in the 2017 coming-of-age romantic drama film Call Me By Your Name. This performance earned him his first Oscar nomination in the Best Actor category.

Timothée is also up for the Academy Awards Best Actor category for A Complete Unknown.

—By Jemuel Tandoc