Timothée Chalamet Spent Over Six Years Mastering Ping Pong for His New Role

Timothée Chalamet has revealed just how seriously he took his latest role in Marty Supreme, the new sports comedy-drama from Josh Safdie.

The film, which Chalamet also co-produces, is loosely inspired by legendary American table tennis player Marty Reisman and features Gwyneth Paltrow, Odessa A’zion, Kevin O’Leary, Tyler Okonma, Abel Ferrara, and Fran Drescher in supporting roles.

Marty Supreme had its world premiere at the New York Film Festival on October 6 and is set to hit U.S. theaters on December 25, through A24.

The story follows Marty Mauser, a young man chasing a dream that nobody believes in, pushing himself to the limits in pursuit of greatness.

Dream big. MARTY SUPREME, a Josh Safdie film starring Timothée Chalamet. In theaters this Christmas.@realchalamet@gwynethpaltrow@odessaazion@kevinolearytv@tylerthecreator@frandrescher pic.twitter.com/ILLDNMH5eN

— A24 (@A24) August 13, 2025

To prepare for the role, Chalamet trained in ping pong for more than six years. In an interview, he explained how the training became a secret part of his life while he was working on other films.

“Everything I was working on, it was this secret: I had a table in London while I was making Wonka. On Dune 2, I had a table in Budapest, Jordan. I had a table in Abu Dhabi… I got myself an Airbnb near Saint-Tropez after The French Dispatch, overlooking the water, and I was taking lessons there,” he said.

Chalamet started working on the role with director Josh Safdie back in 2018. Even while filming major projects like Wonka and Dune 2, he made sure to keep up with his ping pong practice, showing just how dedicated he was to bringing authenticity to his character.

The combination of Safdie’s direction, Chalamet’s commitment, and a talented supporting cast has fans excited for Marty Supreme, a story about ambition, determination, and the quirky world of competitive table tennis.

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