Interview: Boyd Holbrook Talks About the Fun of Playing Johnny Cash in ‘A Complete Unknown’

Boyd Holbrook is having more fun than almost anyone else this year in A Complete Unknown. It helps that he’s playing Johnny Cash, as well as working once again with filmmaker James Mangold. It’s not a big role, to be fair, but it’s a scene-stealing one, to be sure. So, I was eager to chat with him about it. I previously spoke to co-stars Monica Barbaro (here) and Edward Norton (here), as well as Mangold (here). Today, it’s Holbrook’s turn.

In my review of the film (here), I had the following to say about the cast, including Holbook:

Timothée Chalamet leads an impeccable cast while doing the best work of his career so far. He becomes Bob Dylan in a way that’s never impression, but simply masterful interpretation. There isn’t a moment where you see Chalamet or compare him to Dylan. He just is Dylan here. Monica Barbaro and Elle Fanning are the film’s secret weapons, bringing out other sides of Dylan. Barbaro gets to go toe to toe with Chalamet and challenge his character as Joan Baez, both artistically and personally. Fanning is able to break your heart while looking at the man differently than anyone else. They both impressed me massively. Edward Norton crafts a gentle soul who sees this genius as a sign of his demise in a way, appreciating him nonetheless. It’s a kind yet complex turn that also ranks among his best, which is really saying something. Boyd Holbook gets to have the most fun of the lot, especially when Johnny Cash is on the wilder side, but never turns it into a caricature. You’re seeing Cash at one moment in his life, genuinely impressed by Dylan. Scoot McNairy makes the most of his few scenes, essentially silent yet also giving us a different look at Dylan. Supporting players include Norbert Leo Butz, P.J. Byrne, Kayli Carter, Dan Fogler, James Austin Johnson, and more.

Below, you can see my chat with Holbrook. We get into the movie and the fun he’s having, as well as how he tackled playing Cash for Mangold (who he previously collaborated with on Logan). Of course, he had Joaquin Phoenix get nominated for an Oscar playing him in Walk the Line, so it was important for Holbrook to do something different. Once you see the flick, which is now playing in theaters, you’ll know that he pulled it off. When you walk out of A Complete Unknown, it’s impossible not to smile when you think of Holbrook’s work…

Here now is my interview with A Complete Unknown co-star Boyd Holbrook. Enjoy:

A Complete Unknown is in theaters now!