Timothee Chalamet Dave Benett / Getty Images)

The Insane Amount of Money Timothee Chalamet Paid to Perform Bob Dylan on 'SNL'

Actor Timothee Chalamet paid an unbelievable amount of money to sing Bob Dylan songs on 'SNL.' Find out how much he shelled out.

Actor Timothee Chalamet must have deep pockets. Or a deep reverence for Bob Dylan. Or maybe both. Per

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Just to recap, Chalamet played Bob Dylan in the 2024 film A Complete Unknown. Many felt that his performance of the beloved iconic singer was truly masterful. Chalamet talked about his pricey SNL gig, which took place on January 25, 2025, with Richard Curtis at the Prince Charles Cinema, per the New York Post. He did a trio of Dylan's tracks, including "Three Angels," "Tomorrow Is a Long Time," and "Outlaw Blues."

He explained further. "Lorne Michaels said, 'Hey, do you want to host SNL?' I said, 'Yeah, can I do the music?' He said, 'No.' I was like, 'Alright, I'm not doing it.' He said, 'OK, do the music.' But I refused to take no for an answer. This is the new way of doing stuff. I'm trying to reach audiences, you know. I don't want to be in the pretentious in-crowd."

What Did Chalamet Spend All That Money On?

Per Entertainment Weekly, "Chalamet covered production expenses for his performances, including the band and construction of a set. Such costs are typically covered by an artist's record label."

Commenters Were Not Impressed

Many people weighed in on Chalamet's claim that he spent a whopping amount of his own money to sing those songs on TV. They were largely curtly dismissive.

"Spending six figures out of your own pocket just to prove you aren't part of the 'pretentious in-crowd' is actually the most pretentious thing I've heard all week. Irony just peaked."

"It amazes me just how talented he thinks he is."

"He's like the Lady Gaga of acting (not a compliment)"

At least some fans were solidly in Chalamet's corner, however. They admired what they considered to be his steadfast artistic integrity. One wrote, "That story makes me like Timothee Chalamet even more. It's that kind of stubborn passion for his art that's pretty relatable. Good for him for sticking to his guns with Lorne Michaels."