If you’ve made your way to the theatre to watch the new Bob Dylan biopic, A Complete Unknown, you probably noticed a Mississippi Delta blues singer by the name of Jesse Moffette share a TV studio with the blossoming Dylan.
The bad news? Jesse Moffette is simply the latest example of Hollywood writers adapting a true life to the silver screen by rearranging the narrative and creating characters for better dramatic effect.
The good news? While Moffette may be a fictional character, the sunglasses-wearing bluesman does represent a lengthy list of Mississippi-born artists who impacted Dylan’s illustrious career such as Robert Johnson, Elvis Presley, and Muddy Waters.
The even better news? Moffette may not be real but the man who played him really is the son of Muddy Waters.
Big Bill Morganfield made his first major acting appearance with the biopic and gets a full scene jamming with Dylan (Timothée Chalamet) on the educational show “Rainbow Quest” hosted by Pete Seeger (Ed Norton). Later in the film, Moffette (Morganfield) can be seen greeting Dylan at The Viking Motel when the two are in Rhode Island for the Newport Folk Festival.
What a full-circle moment for all involved, considering Morganfield’s father was an enormous influence on not only Dylan but American music as a whole. The Rolling Stones named themselves in 1962 after a Waters song called “Rollin’ Stone.” Then, in 1965, Dylan wrote “Like a Rolling Stone,” also an homage to the popular Waters hit and serving as Dylan’s launch into rock and roll. To cap it all off, Waters even had a presence at Newport in real life – the same place that played a major role in Dylan’s career.
As for Morganfield himself, the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree. Since taking up music after his father’s death, Morganfield has headlined blues festivals across the world as he both sings and strums. In 2000, he won the W.C. Handy Award for Best New Blues Artist and apparently might have just found himself a new home in acting.
Say his name. Timothée Chalamet is Bob Dylan in A COMPLETE UNKNOWN, now playing in theaters everywhere. Experience it in @IMAX this Friday. Get tickets now. #ACompleteUnknown https://t.co/zxIZdRmxGa pic.twitter.com/QGELkbNaTf
— Searchlight Pictures (@searchlightpics) January 1, 2025
