Rachel Zegler as Snow White wearing a red cape in Snow White (2025) Image via Disney
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Billy Fellows
Published 39 minutes ago
Billy is a Senior Features Author for Collider. Having written over 300 articles in just over a year, Billy regularly covers the biggest TV shows and films releasing while also analysing some of the most underrated properties that may slip your attention.
Having studied for an MA in Screenwriting at UAL in 2023, Billy honed his writing skills and also developed his ability to critique the work of other creative minds.
Before that, Billy studied politics at the University of Nottingham, which helped him to bring nuanced and scholarly analysis to the frameworks within which filmmakers and writers have framed their thematic messages.
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When it comes to making a film, one of the most underrated aspects that can have a significant impact is the casting director's job. People like Victoria Burrows, who cast The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and Sarah Finn, who cast the entirety of the MCU, are key in determining which actors fit the right roles and can make or break a film. The BAFTAs already recognize the feat that these people perform, and the Academy Awards have announced that it will begin to do so from 2026 onwards. One of the casting directors nominated at the 2025 BAFTA awards for best casting was Yesi Ramirez for the Bob Dylan biopic, A Complete Unknown. Considering that several actors, including Timothée Chalamet, Edward Norton, and Monica Barbaro, were nominated for Oscars for their roles in the James Mangold film, it's hard to argue Ramirez's decisions were not the correct ones. However, one casting choice could have been very different. While it may have led to a more personal performance from the alternative actor, it is impossible to say if it would have been an improvement on what audiences were treated to.
Rachel Zegler Auditioned To Play Joan Baez in 'A Complete Unknown'
During a recent episode of the Blank Check podcast, Rachel Zegler revealed that she had "also auditioned for" the part of Joan Baez (Monica Barbaro), Bob Dylan's (Timothée Chalamet) frequent collaborator and love interest, in A Complete Unknown. From Ramirez's interview with Spotlight following her BAFTA nomination, we know that auditions were far from the usual procedure of casting because "when we were sent home with Covid, it just became self-tapes. Eventually, Zoom became a thing, but it was mostly self-tapes." Self-tapes are not entirely uncommon for audition processes, but Ramirez reflected that "It would’ve been easier in the room, giving notes to adjust." Perhaps, if Zegler had been in the room, there could have been a different actress portraying Baez.
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Posts By Justine Kraemer Nov 2, 2025In a way, this shouldn't come as a surprise to fans of Zegler, who has expressed her admiration for both Dylan and Baez in the past. During a virtual press conference, via the San Francisco Chronicle, Zegler revealed that Baez's song, "Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right," was an inspiration for her character, Lucy Gray, in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, claiming the "You just ruined my life, but it’s OK" tone of the song matched Gray's energy. So Zegler was already channeling part of what made Baez such a fascinating character in A Complete Unknown. The consequences of being near Dylan and Baez's strength to move past it, reflected in how Baez was recontextualizing Dylan's original lyrics with her cover. Zegler has also previously admitted in an interview with Buzzfeed that her guitar is named after Baez, calling it Joan.
Monica Barbaro Was the Right Choice For 'A Complete Unknown'
We'll never know whether Zegler would have given as good or better a performance than Barbaro did as Joan Baez. While Zegler would have undoubtedly given a passionate and well-researched performance, especially considering her musical ability, what Barbaro delivered was more than worthy of her Oscar nomination. Barbaro's performance delivered just the right mix of edge and ethereal energy that made her the perfect counterpart for Chalamet's Dylan. She was both wowed and enraged by him, making the audience admire Dylan's talent while also feeling comfortable seeing through some of his frustrating emotional distance. During the same Blank Check podcast, Zegler happily admitted that, "Monica was amazing," so at least Zegler clearly doesn't feel too upset at being denied the role.
In the end, these what-ifs are always fun to imagine, especially when they hold little to no negative consequences on the careers of those involved. Zegler, with her roles in West Side Story and The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, is on her way to having a fabulous career, and Barbaro has already established herself as an acting powerhouse. With this in mind, audiences should feel free to imagine what a Zegler portrayal of Baez would have looked like. Would Zegler, who is 11 years younger than Barbaro and closer to Baez's age during the 1961-1965 setting of A Complete Unknown, have given a performance based on youthful exuberance, and how would that have affected the power dynamic between Baez and Dylan that Barbaro nailed so expertly? We'll simply never know, but that doesn't make it any less interesting to ponder.
A Complete Unknown is available to stream on Hulu in the U.S.
A Complete Unknown Official Teaser Poster
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A Complete Unknown
Like Follow Followed Biography Drama Music Release Date December 25, 2024 Runtime 140 minutes Director James Mangold Writers Jay Cocks, James MangoldCast
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Timothée Chalamet
Bob Dylan
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Edward Norton
Pete Seeger
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Rachel Zegler
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A Complete Unknown
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