Elle Fanning Manifested Her Role In “A Complete Unknown” | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend

a complete unknown highly anticipated. biopic about Bob Dylan and you are in. this movie and you are playing it's. interesting you're playing kind of a. composite character yes I mean she I. play in the film her name is um Sylvie. Russo but she's based on Suz Vero y who. was um Bob Dylan's girlfriend I mean I. know uh the iconic one of the most. iconic covers ever is for the Freewheel.

in Bob Dylan where he's walking down the. street in Greenwich Village and he's. with a woman who's like sort of holding. his arm and snuggling up against him and. that was his girlfriend at the time yes. and that's her yeah and so that's who. you're playing that is and it's really. honestly it's really true to their. relationship um it's just her name is. different that's the only thing and I I. think it was actually out of a request. from Bob Dylan himself because everyone. else's name is what their name was.

except for Timmy who plays do billan. yeah yes he's a folk he's a folk singer. but everything's a little off exactly he. sings glowing in the. wind um stand lady stand stand lady. stand stand lady. stand Do not sit long you must stand. stand stand everyone else um well first. of all I am so excited to see this film. and and I would think because also Al.

I'm fascinated with that period we're. talking 1961 6061 around that era in the. village and I've always thought clearly. there were times in American not just. American history in any in all world. history there are times where there's a. moment that happens in a city that's. organic it happens in a place it. happened in Seattle in the late 80s. early 90s with grunge it happened in. Liverpool in the late 50s and 60s. something was going on in the village in.

the ' 50s stuff is percolating and Bob. Dylan makes his way there from Hibbing. Minnesota Y and changes everything you. guys are incredible actors I'm I'm. cannot wait to see this movie yeah it. was so amazing to see and I yeah cuz. it's like takes place from like 61 to. 1965 of basically ending when he was um. at the Newport fol festival and goes. electric for the first time it changes.

the course music forever yes I think he. was well he was called Judas at that. Festival I don't know if it was at that. one I don't I know in our movie it is. because we play you know we try to stay. true of course to what happen but then. at the same time it is a film and James. mangled who directed the movie you know. he wanted to take Liberties as well. because it is a movie and also Bob Dylan. himself as a figure he is so mysterious. and he himself likes to play with what's.

true or not you know we don't. necessarily know all the truth first of. all I am I have no time for people that. sit and watch a biopic and say hold on a. second that happened in October I know. what what they described in the film. it's November because they just had you. know I think there are those people yes. there are those people but the point of. a of a a film like this an Endeavor like. this in my opinion is to capture the. spirit and the energy of what was. happening uh and transport you um it is. not a visit to the IRS where you have.

all of your documents ready but but what. is interesting to me is I had the chance. to do something at the Folk Festival. this summer I got to play there with. some other musicians and it was it was. such a mind-blowing experience but I got. to you know be in the spot where all of. that happened and what's so amazing is. you look at our culture. now and I mean just the way things go. but the stuff that happens in. entertainment that is so out there and.

so explicit and so crazy and you realize. that Bob Dylan basically just plugged in. his guitar and played electric yeah at A. Folk Festival and someone in the crowd. shouts Judith yes because because I mean. it's so Preposterous now and so. laughable but there are these famous. stories of he's playing in Pete seager's. backstage with an axe trying to cut the. electricity cable they.

so. they you think oh Pete rap hasn't shown. up know like like Funk rap I mean. there's all this stuff that's going to. blow your mind you like he's still. playing folk with an electric guitar. exactly and it just takes that kind of. one person to be daring enough to change. you know and step outside of the box he. risked I mean he he risked he. disappointed his core fan base which.

you're never supposed to do I've done it. many times I think I'm very brave um but. uh I think I'm very brave yes and if. that can be the pull quote from this. interview what did El say about the. movie uh she well Conan kept talking. over her and he kept shouting I'm very. brave and don't sell yourself short. you've disappointed all of us as well. well I was calling listen you are my. core man but I would think I would think. post the Oscars I know yeah I know.

insane I know but they'll I said. exciting it's exciting but I I think. they'll after this interview they'll. revoke it they'll say con did you shout. I'm brave at L. Fanning um I would think l i mean I'm uh. I was born in ' 63 so this is ancient. history to me because I I I wasn't. connected to it in any way but for you. this might as well be 1861 you know it's. it's such a long time ago but the style.

of that time is so iconic oh completely. and I mean not not just the music but. getting to I would just think from a art. production standpoint like I I really. want to see the movie and I'm looking. forward to the performances and the. story but I'm also looking forward to. the cars the guitars the the. clothing um the look of things yeah it's. really shot with like such authenticity. I mean we shot in New York and also New. Jersey because obviously a lot of those.

iconic New York streets now are very. modernized so we we actually took like. in Hoboken kind of created like Cafe W. and pH you know over there um and Arian. Phillips did our costumes and she's just. absolutely incredible I think Timmy had. like 70 outfit changes because it really. goes from him like starting Robert. simmerman to Bob Dyan like in we you see. him as someone from Minnesota who like. literally just got off the bus and.

seeing New York for the first time so. there's such an evolution that he takes. in the film and I was a huge I I I it I. saying this it's like oh gosh I hear how. I sound but it honestly is true but I. was a huge Bob Dylan fan because Cameron. Crow I Did We Bought a Zoo with him when. I was 13 I think that's what I came on. your show for the first time but he. introduced me to Bob Dylan and I became. like a Bob Dylan nut and I wasn't. allowed to have posters on my room but I.

had a corkboard and on the corkboard I. had Bob Dylan up there and I would write. every day it and I have I have to find. photos of this something but in middle. school I would write Bob Dylan on my. hand right here in cursive every day wow. like weird also I don't know that was I. don't know why I also did that I think I. was like I'm cool you know I like Bob. Dylan and in middle school I was like. you don't know who he is you know and. I'm like I do but I did that and I I. really did so I feel like I manifested.

like getting this part it's kind of wild. look you manifested it you manifested it. kids in school were like what is that. who is that I'm like you don't know wow. you sounded like an awful kid I. know I was just more like oh you. know I love that you don't know do. you well I wrote his name on my hand and. you couldn't possibly know exactly what. kind of kid were you um well bye-bye.

now uh yeah I uh I but I was very. excited about doing this I was like what. when they came to me I was like people. have dream boards where they're supposed. to right you're supposed Vis vision. boards supposed to your hand was your. vision board that's right you were just. manifesting things totally totally I. mean I you know they I know this the. movie they'd been trying to do for a. while and with the strike and Co and. like Timothy's been been training for it.

for like 5 years now so he sang. Everything live he did the guitar live. and it was really kind of amazing like. hearing him for the first time like it. was extraordinary and we were in it so. funny when you said he tried and. training really hard I thought he went. the Marvel route and so he shows up as. this completely jacked and he just. [Laughter]. misunderstood Bob Dylan just all roed up. exactly v-shaped torso yeah I'm all set. to go I put.

put on 150 lbs of muscle well now we. need to do your algebra come on yeah. exactly I didn't realize I didn't. realize he did all of his own he did. yeah all of his own singing I was in. like an auditorium for the first time. and hearing him sing I think it was A. Hard Rain's going to fall he was singing. that and all the background artists like. in the auditorium were like that's not. him like he SLE singing I was like yes. it is I like tapped him I was like I. know it is I know it's him you're always. a know- it- all in all your stories. again.

I happen to know it is and I've written. it is on my hand the most annoying. person like well it actually. is oh no we should have you just pop. into the podcast every now and then and. go it is and I have was that Al Fanning. who just popped through that little. window wait you have Conan O'Brien. written on your hand. currently I'll start I'll start I don't. know what that'll manifest but you know. yeah yeah oh you don't want to.

know being on the podcast a ninth time.