Timothée Chalamet Reveals How Marty Supreme and Dune 3 Changed Him
Timothée Chalamet opens up about his bold new role in Marty Supreme, how it contrasts with Dune: Part Three, and what drives his relentless ambition as an actor.
From his early days as 'Lil Timmy Tim' to his current status as a Hollywood heavyweight, Timothée Chalamet has never shied away from chasing big dreams. Now, as he steps into the shoes of a fiercely determined ping-pong phenom in the upcoming A24 film Marty Supreme, Chalamet reflects on what it means to dream big and push boundaries in his career.
Chasing Ambition and Embracing the Underdog
Relaxing by the rooftop pool at the Maybourne Hotel in Beverly Hills, Chalamet shares,
“I feel like I was a huge dreamer in my mid-teens to late teens – maybe to a degree that I didn’t really feel the people around me doing.”
He grins, recalling his relentless drive:
“It’s like, ‘Alright, do you want to take the foot off the accelerator pedal a little bit? Do you want to go in neutral or whatever the metaphor is? And I’m hitting the f*cking gas pedal, for better or worse.”
Looking back on his twenties, Chalamet admits he once believed there was a clear marker of success waiting at the top. But with a resume that spans indie gems and blockbuster hits—like Call Me By Your Name, A Complete Unknown, and the Dune saga—he’s learned that the journey is just as important as the destination.
Why Marty Supreme? A New Kind of Challenge
So what drew him to a quirky underdog sports story? For Chalamet, the answer was simple: the chance to work with director Josh Safdie.
“Okay, this is through the lens of a table tennis movie, but really, it’s about someone who’s got enormous dreams, but he’s living life as the underdog whose only resources, whose only support system – whose only foundation – is himself. Certainly, a lot of people in their late teens and early 20s can relate to that. I certainly can.”
He opens up about the isolation that comes with self-belief:
“In my early 20s, when I was pursuing an acting career, you go, ‘Man, I know the person believing the most in me right now is me.’ That is a weird hall to hear your thoughts echo in. It’s a lonely [place]. If you have a fast-paced mind like myself, it leaves a lot of room for self-doubt at times.”
Switching Gears: From Indie Underdog to Sci-Fi Epic
Once filming wrapped on Marty Supreme, Chalamet dove straight into the world of Dune: Part Three. He was grateful for the stark contrast between the two roles.
“Had the roles been similar, it might have been more complicated. I’d have thought, ‘Oh, man… How do I not let these roles bleed into each other?’”
With a bright orange Marty Supreme blimp floating over Los Angeles, Chalamet reflects on the differences:
“They are such different roles and the tones of the film couldn’t be more different. A high-wire, Safdie brother, New York, 1950s period piece about a borderline delusional, ambitious character in contrast to a Denis Villeneuve sci-fi epic space opera.”
Looking Ahead: Awards Buzz and Future Projects
While fans will have to wait until December 2026 for the next Dune installment, Marty Supreme is set to hit US theaters on December 25 and UK cinemas the following day. With early awards chatter surrounding his performance as Marty Mauser, Chalamet’s journey is far from over—and he’s ready for whatever comes next.