Mick Jagger wasn’t wrong when he said Bob Dylan didn’t want to be at the 2025 Oscars.
The Rolling Stones frontman, 81, presented Best Original Song at the 97th Academy Awards on Sunday and claimed that producers “wanted” Dylan, 83, to do the job instead of him, but Dylan declined.
The Hollywood Reporter confirmed that Dylan was invited to both present and perform at the Oscars — but he said no to both offers.
Bob Dylan performs in London in July 2019. Redferns
The Post has reached out to Dylan’s rep for comment.
Dylan was the subject of the 2024 film “A Complete Unknown” featuring Timothée Chalamet in the lead role. The biopic was nominated for eight Oscars including Best Picture, Best Actor and Best Director (for James Mangold), but lost in every category.
Timothée Chalamet at the 2025 Oscars. DAVID SWANSON/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
Timothée Chalamet as Bob Dylan in “A Complete Unknown.” ©Searchlight Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection
During the ceremony, Jagger cracked a joke about Dylan when he came onstage to present Best Original Song, which went to “El Mal” from “Emilia Perez.”
“I wasn’t the first choice to give this award out. The producers wanted Bob Dylan to do it, but Bob didn’t want to,” said Jagger. “Bob Dylan won’t do it because he said the best songs in a movie this year were in ‘A Complete Unknown.’”
Jagger added, “Bob said, ‘You should find somebody younger.’ I said, ‘OK, I’m younger. I’m younger than Bob, I’ll do it.’ So, here I am.”
Mick Jagger presenting at the 97th Academy Awards. Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP
Host Conan O’Brien also poked fun at the “Blowin’ in the Wind” singer during his opening monologue.
“To play Bob Dylan, Timothée Chalamet learned how to sing,” the comedian said. “In fact, the singing was so good he almost lost the part.”
“Dylan wanted to be here tonight, but not that badly,” O’Brien added.
Conan O’Brien hosting the 2025 Oscars. Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP
For playing Dylan, Chalamet, 29, was nominated for Best Actor but lost to “The Brutalist” star Adrien Brody.
But Chalamet did win the SAG Award for Best Actor last month and acknowledged Dylan in his speech.
Timothée Chalamet at the 2025 Oscars. Richard Harbaugh/AMPAS/Shutterstock
“I poured everything I had into portraying this incomparable artist, Mr. Bob Dylan, a true American hero, and it was the honor of a lifetime playing him,” the actor said.
Dylan, who has stepped away from the public eye, gave his stamp of approval to Chalamet’s performance in the biopic last year with a supportive message on X (formerly Twitter).
Bob Dylan performs at the 2002 Grammy Awards. AP
Timothée Chalamet at the “A Complete Unknown” premiere in LA in December 2024. AFP via Getty Images
“There’s a movie about me opening soon called ‘A Complete Unknown’ (what a title!). Timothee Chalamet is starring in the lead role,” the famed singer wrote in December.
“Timmy’s a brilliant actor so I’m sure he’s going to be completely believable as me. Or a younger me. Or some other me,” he added.
Bob Dylan in 1962. Michael Ochs Archives
Chalamet was blown away by Dylan’s praises. “Floored. I am so grateful. Thank you Bob,” he wrote back.
While Dylan was not directly involved with “A Complete Unknown,” the director previously told Rolling Stone that he sat down with the icon on various occasions before filming began.
“Bob would have these one-off lines that were so fantastic,” Chalamet told the outlet in a joint interview with Mangold, 61. “Jim has an annotated Bob script lying around somewhere. I’ll beg him to get my hands on it. He’ll never give it to me.”
