It’s no secret that Timothee Chalamet has already had quite the career.
Pursuit of becoming a star
Recently celebrating his 30th birthday, Chalamet’s filmography is already an enviable one: Interstellar, Call Me by Your Name (for which he was nominated for an Academy Award at the age of 22), Lady Bird, Dune, The French Dispatch. From indie films to blockbuster hits, Timothee has captivated audiences with a wide array of performances. With both the marketing and successful release of Chalamet’s latest, Marty Supreme, Timothee has ushered in a new era. One where much like his character Marty Mauser, Timothee is relentlessly, tirelessly and unapologetically in pursuit of becoming a star.
Marty Supreme is not unlike the other Safdie pursuits; it follows a similar formula. A young man in New York City, acting on every impulse, making less than ideal decisions and dragging others down with them. It works to stir the audience, creating a sense of dread but also an interest in what happens – a trainwreck you can’t look away from. Chalamet’s performance, much like Sandler’s in Uncut Gems, elevates the screenplay off the page, speeding us through ping-pong matches, international travel, hustling and family drama. With a great supporting cast, Marty Supreme quickly became part of the awards conversation after its surprise release at the New York Film Festival. If you’re a fan of films like Uncut Gems or Good Time, there will be something you love about Marty Supreme.
Marketing Machine
Timothee’s hand in the marketing and his general authenticity in recent months only escalated the hype around the film. The internet has been ablaze with Marty Supreme jackets, posts from Michael Phelps and Susan Boyle donning their swag and viral moments such as the infamous Zoom call and the Marty Supreme blimp. The film’s tagline “Dream Big” has been drawn over images on Instagram, highlighting star athletes and critically-acclaimed celebrities, creating momentum around Marty’s ping-pong pursuits and giving the audience the sense that Marty will ultimately succeed. Timothee even stood atop the Las Vegas Sphere, which was colored orange like Marty’s table tennis balls in the film, the first celebrity to promote their film using the world’s largest LED screen.
Before the film’s release, Timothee talked about a lot of topics that Marty deals with in the film – having children, his desire to be revered in his chosen path, dreaming in a larger than life way. He’s certainly highlighting all of the ways he and Marty are similar despite Marty being an anti-hero and an obnoxious and unlikable person. There has even been some comparison to Marty – having infamously said he was in ‘pursuit of greatness’ while accepting the 2025 SAG Award for Actor in a Leading Role, wanting to be ‘one of the greats.’ He hasn’t backed away from this idea during this press tour, expressing his disappointment at losing the Oscar last year to Variety and implying to George Stephanopoulos of ABC News that he knew the film would be successful and he would likely be praised, even before the film’s release.
Obnoxious, overconfident or arrogant?
To some, Chalamet’s words ring as Marty does – obnoxious, overconfident or arrogant. It’s not the norm for actors, athletes or those in the public eye to admit they want to win awards or be seen as a power player in their field. Leonardo DiCaprio never once publicly said he wanted an Oscar though it was clear through his choice of film roles he wanted critical acclaim and the same could be said of others in the industry. I find Chalamet’s honesty refreshing – everyone wants to be great at something. Timothee certainly walks the walk too – taking table tennis lessons for 6 years in preparation for Marty Supreme and having photos taken of himself on the Dune set playing guitar, practicing for his role as Bob Dylan in A Complete Unknown.
His own interest in the craft of acting and film reminds me of actors like Daniel Day-Lewis or Jeremy Strong who pour their heart and soul into each role, having characters seep into their bones and life. They too have faced their share of ridicule with interviewers and others questioning their unwavering dedication to their work – if only one could be so lucky. In an era where trying too hard has become young people’s biggest fear, Chalamet’s open and honest pursuit of accolades is one to be admired and pairs handsomely with the marketing and release of Marty Supreme. Regardless of whether Timothee feels he has achieved greatness, I am certainly eager to watch his real-life Safdie-like pursuit.
Photo used for edited featured image courtesy of A24
