Timothy Chalamet Had An ‘A–’ Double For Marty Supreme. Why He Let Himself Get Spanked With A Ping Pong Paddle Anyway

by

Timothée Chalamet delivers a compelling performance in Marty Supreme as a fiercely determined table tennis player. He’ll do almost anything – lie, cheat, and even scam – to get the chance to prove he’s the best. This makes for a thrilling movie, and it’s impressive that Chalamet brought that same dedication to the set, especially when filming one particularly unforgettable scene.

There’s a memorable scene in the film where Timothée Chalamet’s character, Marty Mauser, accepts being spanked with a ping pong paddle as payment for a ride to a tournament. Despite having a body double and a prop paddle on set, the filmmakers ended up using Chalamet himself for the scene, making it genuinely real.

Kevin O’Leary, famous as “Mr. Wonderful” on Shark Tank, shared the story behind a surprising scene in Marty Supreme where he playfully spanks Timothée Chalamet. He told Us Weekly that the original plan changed unexpectedly during filming. Director Josh Safdie was prepared to use a stand-in for Chalamet, but the Dune actor insisted on performing the scene himself, according to O’Leary.

Timmy insisted on featuring his rear end prominently in the film, wanting it to be remembered forever. He was determined to do it. We spent a lot of time adjusting things – repeatedly hitting and tweaking – to maintain consistent coloring.

The reason Timothée Chalamet has red cheeks in the Marty Supreme scene is simple: he was genuinely hit with a real table tennis paddle. They initially tried using a padded, hinged paddle to soften the blow, but it broke. So, they replaced it with a standard wooden paddle – the kind with grooves on the surface.

The actor remembers filming over a dozen takes of a scene involving a paddle hitting his co-star. However, the director felt the hits didn’t look convincing on camera. He then told the actor to hit with more force. While the resulting impact actually hurt his scene partner, it was exactly what the movie needed and is the shot that made the final cut.

I swung and hit him hard in the cheek – it looked like it really hurt, maybe even affected his vision. But even after that, he handled it incredibly well. I’m really impressed with how he reacted, and honestly, he deserves an award for it.

That’s commitment!

A24’s Marty Supreme is a standout film of the year – it was a top pick in my 2025 rankings – and I’m confident Timothée Chalamet will receive a Best Actor Oscar nomination next month. If you’re skeptical, you simply haven’t seen it yet! It’s currently playing in theaters, so be sure to check it out.

Read More

2025-12-26 01:38