Bob Dylan; Mick Jagger.Photo:Michael Kovac/WireImage; Frank Micelotta/Disney via Getty
Michael Kovac/WireImage; Frank Micelotta/Disney via Getty
Bob Dylanwas noticeably absent from the Oscars, considering a biopic about his life was up for major awards.
On March 3,The Hollywood Reporterreported that the “Mr. Tambourine Man” singer was invited to sing and perform at the2025 Academy Awardsbut declined both offers.
PEOPLE reached out to the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences for comment and did not receive an immediate response.
“But Mick was always the first choice. It was like, ‘the ask is out to Mick Jagger — he’ll never do it.’ And he did!” Mills added that it was Jagger’s first time at the Academy Awards.
Mick Jagger in 2025.Richard Harbaugh/The Academy via Getty
Richard Harbaugh/The Academy via Getty
Jagger joked about taking his place — and not without poking fun at their octogenarian statuses. “I’m greatly honored to be invited to give this award for the Best Original Song tonight,” he said. “As much as I love doing it, 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,” Jagger joked ahead of presentingthe Oscar for Best Original Song, “because he said ‘The best songs this year are obviously inA Complete Unknown. You should find somebody younger.’ I said, ‘OK, I’m younger than Bob! I’ll do it!’ So here I am.”
Jagger, a spry 81, stepped in for the 83-year-old Dylan, who’s known to make few public appearances.
HostConan O’Brienalso joked about Dylan’s absence. “Dylan wanted to be here tonight, but not that badly,” the comedian said.
The awards show ceremony also notablydidn’t feature any of the Best Original Song nomineesperformances on Sunday, March 2.Emilia Pérez’s “El Mal” and “Mi Camino,“The Six Triple Eight’s “The Journey,“Sing Sing’s “Like a Bird” andElton John: Never Too Late’s “Never Too Late” were contenders in the category.
Bob Dylan in 2023.Gary Miller/Getty
Gary Miller/Getty
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
The Dylan biopic,A Complete Unknown, was nominated for eight Academy Awards at the ceremony, including best actor forTimothée Chalamet, best picture and best director forJames Mangold.
In preparing forA Complete Unknown, Chalamet, 29, said thathe didn’t use a cell phone for three months. “I had three months to play this guy, and then the rest of my life, I never get to play him again. So I was locked in,” he said during an interview withThis Past Weekend w/Theo Vonwhich aired in December 2024.
“You never want to say you’re competitive, but there’s been a lot of music biopics, and I wanted to do a great f—ing job. I love Bob Dylan,” Chalamet added. “None of this is for granted.”
Timothée Chalamet in ‘A Complete Unknown’.Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures
Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures
A Complete Unknownis in theaters and expected to hit streaming services in the coming weeks.
source: people.com
