Bob Dylan Reportedly Declined Presenting and Performing at the Oscars — So 'Younger' Mick Jagger Stepped in

Bob Dylan was noticeably absent from the Oscars, considering a biopic about his life was up for major awards.

On March 3, The Hollywood Reporter reported that the "Mr. Tambourine Man" singer was invited to sing and perform at the 2025 Academy Awards but declined both offers.

PEOPLE reached out to the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences for comment and did not receive an immediate response.

Speaking with Variety in a post-Oscars interview published on March 3, Walt Disney TV’s Rob Mills, the executive VP of unscripted and alternative entertainment, clarified that Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger came up with the joke about Dylan declining an invite over not being young enough.

"That was Mick Jagger’s joke,” Mills explained. "I think everybody knows, if you’ve ever been to a Rolling Stones show or seen on TV, Mick Jagger has an incredible sense of humor."

"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.

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 presenting the Oscar for Best Original Song, "because he said 'The best songs this year are obviously in A 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.

Host Conan O'Brien also joked about Dylan's absence. "Dylan wanted to be here tonight, but not that badly," the comedian said.

The awards show ceremony also notably didn't feature any of the Best Original Song nominees performances 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” and Elton John: Never Too Late's “Never Too Late" were contenders in the category.

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The Dylan biopic, A Complete Unknown, was nominated for eight Academy Awards at the ceremony, including best actor for Timothée Chalamet, best picture and best director for James Mangold.

In preparing for A Complete Unknown, Chalamet, 29, said that he 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 with This Past Weekend w/Theo Von which 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."

Chalamet also shared that he gained 20 lbs for the role and reportedly wore a leather jacket previously owned by Dylan while attending a Los Angeles Lakers game in Ferbrary, leaning into method dressing.

A Complete Unknown is in theaters and expected to hit streaming services in the coming weeks.