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The Real Story Behind Timothée Chalamet's ‘Marty Supreme’
Marty Reisman was the man and the myth.
"He was this legendary ping pong player," Matthew Broderick, who used to frequent Reisman's table tennis parlor at 96th and Broadway in NYC, said on the Late Show With David Letterman in 2008. "World champion, supposedly could do a trick where he would put a cigarette on the table and he'd hit it with a ping pong ball and it would crack in half."
Needless to say, Reisman was waiting in the wings, ready to put the legend to the test.
Timothée Chalamet doesn't play Reisman, exactly, in Marty Supreme, for which the 30-year-old has already won a Critics' Choice Award and is nominated for Best Lead Actor heading into the Golden Globes Jan. 11 and Actor Awards March 1.
But the character of Marty Mauser—hustler, charlatan, raconteur and ne'er-do-well in addition to being a first-rate table tennis player—is inspired by Reisman, whose antics in the sporting world and beyond were begging be spun into a movie.
Director Josh Safdie, who was aware of the scene that sprang up around the sport in 1950s New York, first learned of Reisman when his now-wife Sara Rossein picked up the athlete's 1974 memoir The Money Player: The Confessions of America’s Greatest Table Tennis Champion and Hustler at a thrift store.
He "believed in this thing," Safdie told NPR's All Things Considered in December, "and had a dream that no one respected."
Michael Gold/Getty Images, A24
So, Reisman—who was 10 when, as a respite from severe anxiety, he learned to play at a public table in Seward Park on the Lower East Side—opted to bet on himself.
Thoroughly enraptured by the sport, he was 12 when he started hustling at Lawrence’s Broadway Table Tennis Club.
"When I first arrived at Lawrence's there were many players who could beat me,” Reisman wrote in his memoir, per Rolling Stone. “Soon I was able to beat them all.”
Bettmann/Contributor/Getty
And his winnings from hustling at night financed his aspirations of professional glory.
When he was 15, he tried to place a $500 wager on himself during a national tournament in Detroit. But while Reisman thought he was giving money to a bookie, the man was actually the head of the U.S. Table Tennis Association, and he called the cops.
Reisman liked to show off when he had the means, measuring table nets with $100 bills to ensure they were regulation height. Asked why he didn't just use $1 bills, he quipped to the New York Times in 2012, "Why be chintzy about it?"
The lifelong New Yorker also dressed the part of a showman, rarely seen without his trademark Borsalino fedora or Panama hat, tinted glasses and brightly colored shirt and sneakers.
“Tournament directors and referees and umpires—they hated Reisman," Table Tennis Hall of Famer and historian Larry Hodges told Rolling Stone in 2025. "If the guy says, ‘You can’t wear your hat,’ to him it’s a double win because not only is he gonna get to keep the hat, everyone gets to see him stand up to the referee.”
At the same time, Reisman was an exceptional player.
He was a city junior champion at 13 and, between 1946 and 2002, he won 22 major table tennis finals, including two US Open titles and a British Open.
Marty Supreme is set in 1952, not least because Reisman was determined to win the World Table Tennis Championship in Mumbai that year. Spoiler alert: He did not, losing to Hiroji Satoh of Japan, whose use of a then-newfangled (now standard) foam rubber paddle irked Reisman to no end.
A24
He won the consolation match en route to collecting five bronze medals at the event through the years, gold remaining out of reach. In 1997, he became the oldest-ever national title holder in a racket sport when he won the United States National Hardbat Championship at 67, remaining a proponent of the dimpled-rubber "hardbat" paddle for the rest of his life.
But Reisman really had "the time of [his] life," he wrote in his book, touring with the Harlem Globetrotters as half of a comedy-meets-table tennis act with occasional doubles partner Doug Cartland.
NY Daily News via Getty Images
The feeling he got from performing in a packed stadium "was the real reason I decided to make table tennis a lifetime career,” he wrote. “Crowds had risen to their feet and cheered my talent.”
At his own club in New York, he hung out more in his office than on the main floor, waiting for the right opponent to blow away after spotting them 18 points.
“I took on people in the gladiatorial spirit,” he told the New York Times about nine months before his death on Dec. 7, 2012, at the age of 82. "Never backed down from a bet."
No purse was too small, either, Reisman noting, “We’d go out to Columbus, Ohio, for a $50 war bond. I once wasted a trip to Toledo because they said they were giving away a Jeep.”
Meanwhile, not all of his exploits were legal. The first time he went overseas after World War II ended, he stocked up on nylon stockings for 50 cents a pair in the U.S. and sold them in England for a pound sterling, a 400-percent return. In his memoir, he called the endeavor "a small beginning for a personal smuggling operation that would grow much larger.”
But, he explained, "A player who depended on exhibition fees could starve."
Paul Zimmerman/WireImage
On the personal front, Marty Supreme creates more angsty romance for the title character. Chalamet's Marty two-times his married pregnant girlfriend Rachel Mizler (Odessa A'Zion) with elegant, married screen star Kay Stone (Gwyneth Paltrow), none of which bodes well for his future domestic prospects.
But in real life, Reisman eventually settled down, marrying wife Yoshiko Reisman in 1982 and welcoming daughter Debby Reisman.
When he was still playing competitively, Yoshiko "was very enthusiastic about my game and what I was doing," Reisman said in the posthumously released 2014 documentary Fact or Fiction: The Life and Times of a Ping Pong Hustler. "She was also, strangely enough, my table tennis coach during the course of a match. She lived and died in every shot that I made."
At one point in the doc, Reisman noted that he was caring for his wife, who was ill at the time.
"She did everything for me," he explained. "I couldn't imagine life without her."
His daughter told the NY Times that she and her kids had no hand in the making of Marty Supreme—which, Safdie has repeatedly emphasized, is fictional despite his use of Reisman's book as a jumping-off point—and it pains her that her father isn't around to tell his own story.
Still, she said, "He would be so happy that he’s worldwide famous now."
And the legend continues. See how Chalamet and more stars reacted to their 2026 Golden Globe nominations:
Focus Features
Paul Mescal, Best Supporting Male Actor—Motion Picture
“Working on this film with Jessie, Chloé, Maggie and the rest of this extraordinary cast and crew has forever changed how and why I want to work, and the kinds of stories I want to make and be part of. It was truly one of the greatest privileges of my life to make Hamnet. Thank you to the Golden Globes for recognising our film."
Erin Simkin/Netflix
Kristen Bell, Best Female Actor—Television—Musical/Comedy
“I am beyond thrilled for the show and Adam to get Global Globe nominations alongside myself. This show and everyone involved is family to me, so I want to thank you for the recognition.”
Kevin Mazur / Contributor / GETTY IMAGES
Dwayne Johnson, Best Male Actor—Motion Picture—Drama
“Feeling so deeply grateful today for my Smashing Machine family. Thank you to the Golden Globes for this inspiring recognition and celebration of the experience that we all had making the film.
And wow my FIRST Golden Globe nomination - it’s humbling and surreal all at once! My absolute honor to be included with such a tremendous cadre of artists whose extraordinary performances all have raised the standard.
Getting the opportunity to live in the skin of Mark Kerr was the most life changing and beautiful experience of my career - and my gratitude runs deep to Mark for trusting me with his story and ultimately, trusting me with his life. Celebrating my brother and our fearlessly empathetic director, the brilliant and hungry Benny Safdie - and I count my lucky stars to have the greatest scene partner of all time, Emily Blunt, whose RAW, heart wrenching, and lived in performance as Dawn Staples, moves us all to aching tears. Still in awe of the transformative, prosthetic make-up work of the great, Kazu Hiro and all of the crew who truly became a family and left it all on the screen. This was the unlocking experience of a lifetime and I’m so, so deeply grateful. Mahalo nui loa.”
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Amy Madigan, Best Supporting Female Actor—Motion Picture
"I am incredibly moved to be recognized by the Golden Globes today for my work as “Aunt Gladys” in Zach Cregger’s film WEAPONS, and for also recognizing the film in the Box Office & Cinematic Achievement category. To receive this recognition is a true testament to Zach’s original vision, and the work of a truly remarkable filmmaking team, including Leo Satkovich, Jason Collins, and Melizah Wheat who helped bring the look of “Gladys” to life, along with our costume designer Trish Summerville.
This was a team effort, and I couldn’t have done it without them. The last few months have been overwhelming seeing audiences, critics and press alike respond to the film in such a positive way. Seeing everyone dressed up as “Gladys” has been a blast! I’d love to give a shout out to all the other women in this category – Emily, Elle, Ariana, Inga and Teyana. They truly represent what women in film are all about."
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Mark Ruffalo, Best Performance by an Actor In A Television Series—Drama
- “I am deeply grateful for this recognition. Task was built by an extraordinary cast and crew, built on incredibly good writing and direction and nurtured by the inimitable guidance of HBO. I’m so proud to be part of this team. Thank you for seeing us.”
Kristina Bumphrey/WWD via Getty Images
Eva Victor, Best Female Actor—Motion Picture—Drama
“I am beyond honored to be nominated. Thank you to the Golden Globes for recognizing the film. I am in the company of actors I have long admired, loved and learned from; It’s a true dream come true. I love making movies!!!”
Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
Adam Brody, Best Male Actor—Television—Musical/Comedy
“I’m grateful and proud to see the show recognized by the Golden Globes. It’s a joy to work alongside a cast and crew I truly love.”
Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images
Hannah Einbinder, Best Supporting Female Actor-Television
"I’m really honored to receive this nomination because I feel like it’s a recognition not only of my work, but of the work of the 250 artists it takes to make hacks what it is. Hacks is about the love you share with the people you make comedy with. I share this equally with every single one of my coworkers who I love dearly."
Max Cisotti/Dave Benett/WireImage
Michael B. Jordan, Best Male Actor – Motion Picture – Drama
“Thank you, Golden Globes, and congrats to my SINNERS family! This was by far my most challenging and rewarding performance— bringing to life (and death) two distinct brothers in SINNERS. We are only here because of the brilliance and relentless fearlessness of Ryan Coogler. A decade after we first started working together, Coogler once again pushed us to unlock another level together. This film, built upon layers of complexities, taps into all of our histories. It’s a movie about love and loss, and asks us — what is the price of freedom? By recognizing this film, you are honoring our legacy and the legacy of an industry built on bold, original storytelling. THANK YOU.”
Jamie McCarthy/NBC
Claire Danes, Best Female Actor – Television – Limited Series, Anthology Series or Television Motion Picture
“Hip-hip-hooray for our Beastie gang! What a thrilling way to start a Monday! Thank you so much to the Golden Globes for acknowledging our efforts. This was one of the most joyous collaborations of my career and — to quote my brilliant co-star, Matthew Ryhs — “this was an Olympic team from the first moment to last.” Feeling wildly grateful for every moment of this ride with this incredible company.”
Kristina Bumphrey/WWD via Getty Images
Jessie Buckley, Best Female Actor-Motion Picture – Drama
“Making Hamnet was the honor of a lifetime. It’s an experience that will live on in my heart and in my bones. I feel so lucky to have been able to bring Agnes to life in this way alongside such extraordinary artists and friends. Thank you to the Golden Globes voters for seeing our work, and for this recognition, which I share with Chloé, Paul, and Maggie and our entire cast and crew. I am so proud of the work we put into this.”
Taylor Hill/FilmMagic
Lee Byung-hun, Best Male Actor – Motion Picture – Musical/Comedy
"Thank you to the Golden Globes for this incredible honor. Having the opportunity to bring this character to the screen has been so meaningful, and the film’s exploration of the difficult choices that define us, even when no easy path exists, resonated deeply with me as an actor and as a person. I am very grateful to director Park Chan-wook and the entire cast and crew of NO OTHER CHOICE, and I am thrilled for KPOP DEMON HUNTERS to be recognized as well!”
Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images
Adolesence team, Best Television Limited Series, Anthology Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
"Thank you so much to the Golden Globes for this recognition - I am blown away by how Adolescence has been received across the world. This show is the result of the unyielding passion of so many dedicated individuals, both in front of and behind the camera, and this nomination celebrates each person's hard work. To our Netflix family, thank you for trusting us with a vision that was so off the wall it seemed impossible. Stephen, Owen, Erin and Ashley, your performances were nothing short of extraordinary; seeing your names individually referenced is truly the cherry on top of the cake.” —Philip Barantini
"We are overjoyed at these nominations. Adolescence is very shocked to belong at the Golden table but delighted to be sitting there all the same! Thank you Golden Globes members!”—Jack Thorne
Joe Scarnici/Getty Images for Korean American Leaders in Hollywood
Park Chan-wook, Best Picture, Best Non-English Language Motion Picture
"I just heard that NO OTHER CHOICE was nominated for three categories at the Golden Globes this morning. It is a great honor.
I am infinitely grateful that the film has deeply touched the hearts of many across the world. I’m especially delighted, as it’s not a category in which my films have typically been placed.
I send my deepest gratitude to CJ and NEON. And congratulations to my leading actor and precious friend; Byung Hun, I am so very proud of you."
NBC
Ricky Gervais, Best Performance in Stand-Up Comedy on Television
I’m absolutely thrilled with my nomination. The Golden Globes have been quite a big part of my journey, first winning a couple over 20 years ago and then hosting the ceremony five times. This nom is particularly close to my heart as Mortality is my favourite special so far. Good luck to all the other nominees and thanks again."
Shannon Finney/WireImage
Kevin Hart, Best Performance in Stand-Up Comedy on Television
“Laughter is the one true global language. Being nominated for my first Golden Globe Award in the Stand-Up category is a pinch-me moment. Thank you to the Golden Globes for recognizing this special and thank you to Netflix for putting my special on a platform for a global audience. Comedy is my first love and what I always come back to. Thank you to everyone who has watched and been on this ride with me, I LOVE YOU ALL.”
Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images
Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, Best Supporting Female Actor-Motion Picture
"Thank you to the Golden Globes for this incredible honor! I can’t believe my name is listed in such good company, I’m truly in awe. I love this film so much, and all the people who made it, especially Renate, Stellan, Elle, Eskil and Joachim. And I’m thrilled they too were recognized for their incredible work on this film. Thank you to Neon and Mubi for being our wonderful partners. Making Sentimental Value was like a dream come true!"
Netflix
KPOP Demon Hunters team, Best Animated Picture, Box Office Achievement, Best Song
“We are beyond thrilled and incredibly humbled by the recognition of KPop Demon Hunters by the Golden Globes! On behalf of the entire cast and our tireless crew, this moment feels surreal, and we couldn’t be more grateful to the members of the Golden Globes, Netflix, Sony Pictures Animation, Sony Pictures Imageworks, and everyone who supported our vision over the past seven years.
The global cultural impact of this film is something we are still getting used to, and we are so thankful to the fans who fell in love with Rumi, Mira, Zoey, the Saja Boys, and of course Derpy Tiger and Sussie, who helped deliver our film’s recognition in both the Best Motion Picture - Animated and Cinematic and Box Office Achievement categories. Thank you, Hunters!
We are also so proud of EJAE, Mark Sonnenblick, 24, IDO, and Teddy being recognized for ‘Golden,’ which is truly the song of the year. We’ve dreamed hard, we’ve come so far, and now we believe! Thank you!!” —Maggie Kang, Chris Appelhans and Michelle Wong
Earl Gibson III/Deadline via Getty Images
Emma Stone, Best Female Actor-Motion Picture-Musical/Comedy
“Feeling very grateful for our Bugonia team today, and to the Golden Globes for our nominations. Working on Bugonia was such a wild and completely singular experience, and getting to make it with Jesse, whose nomination is so deserved, was incredible. None of this would exist without Will Tracy’s amazing script, and Yorgos Lanthimos’ visionary direction, brilliant mind and huge heart. I’m so grateful to our entire cast and crew, and to have been lucky enough to be part of this film. Thank you for embracing it.”
Amy Sussman/Getty Images
Joachim Trier
"I’m so grateful for the recognition Sentimental Value received from the Golden Globes today. These nominations are a testament to the heart and artistry that brought our film to life. I’m proud to share this honor and my warmest congratulations to Stellan, Elle, Inga, Renate, and my dear friend and co-writer Eskil Vogt. We set out to make a film about family, reconciliation and the quiet ways art can heal what may feel broken. Thank you to everyone who has embraced us so warmly."
(Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic)
Tessa Thompson, Best Female Actor-Motion Picture-Drama
“My heart was racing when the call of good news woke me! I thought I overslept and missed something, I may have shrieked and then my mind raced double time when I understood why. Amazingly, the dog is still sleeping! It's an incredible and surreal honor to be nominated alongside these stunning performances and women. Thank you to my inspiration, dear friend and visionary Nia DaCosta for trusting me to be your Hedda, to our amazing collaborators at Amazon MGM Studios/Orion for championing this film, to the talented craftspeople, crew and cast most especially the extraordinary Nina Hoss - my performance is buoyed by all of their brilliance.
Playing an iconic canonical character was a gift because every day I felt connected to the generations of storytellers before and after me, committed to trying to shed some light on the beautiful, impossible, scary, and wondrous thing of what is is to be a human. Thank you to the Golden Globes for celebrating what we do, and for this nomination.“
Michael Buckner/WWD via Getty Images
Renate Reinsve, Best Female Actor-Motion Picture-Drama
"I am so deeply honored and happy for this nomination. It feels so surreal. I am also so moved by the 8 nominations — for the cast, Joachim and film.
It has been such a personal movie to all of us, such a collective making it together with the cast and crew. I am personally so thrilled this kind of movie and the way it’s told gets this kind of attention and love."
Eloisa Sanchez/Getty Images
Chase Infiniti, Best Female Actor-Motion Picture-Musical/Comedy
“My heart is overflowing with excitement and gratitude. Thank you to the Golden Globes for this nomination and for all the love you have shown One Battle After Another. I am eternally grateful to Paul Thomas Anderson for his guidance and friendship; this whole journey is because of him. To my One Battle After Another family, on screen and off, you continuously inspire me. This film has been the gift of a lifetime and I feel so blessed.”
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Adam Scott, Best Performance by an Actor In A Television Series-Drama
"I couldn’t be more honored and grateful to the Golden Globes to be nominated this morning - particularly alongside my insanely talented friends and costars Britt & Tramell, and everyone who works so hard making Severance!"
Sinna Nasseri
Britt Lower, Best Female Actor-Television-Drama
"I’m absolutely honored and humbled to be nominated alongside this inspiring group of artists. I share this recognition with our behind the scenes crew-members, who craft the characters with us every day. Thank you to the Golden Globes and to our fans, whose kindness and creativity warm our hearts."
Rob Latour/REX/Shutterstock
Guillermo del Toro, Best Director
“Thank you to the Golden Globes for this recognition. Frankenstein is a film I have been wanting to make for as long as I can remember, and to have it embraced in this way means so much to me. I am especially thrilled the incredible work of my brothers Oscar, Jacob and Alexandre has been acknowledged today.”
Taylor Hill/FilmMagic
Benecio del Toro, Best Supporting Male Actor—Motion Picture
"It’s been 25 years since I was first recognized by the Golden Globes for my work in Traffic, and to be here, today, all these years later, I am overwhelmed with gratitude to receive this acknowledgement. Thank you Golden Globes. To Jacob, Paul, Adam, Stellan and my man Sean, I extend my congratulations to you as well, and I’m happy to be in your company in this category. To my One Battle family – Adam, Sara, Leo, Sean, Chase, Teyana and Regina and our fearless leader Paul – I’m incredibly proud to have worked alongside you on this project and I am glad that this journey we are all on together continues."
Araya Doheny / Contributor (Getty Images)
Paul Giamatti, Best Male Actor – Television – Limited Series, Anthology Series or Television Motion Picture
“It's really thrilling to have been a part of that awesome show. I loved making that episode with Charlie Brooker, Jessica Rhoades, and all the Black Mirror folks, and Chris Barrett and Luke Taylor did such an amazing job with it. I'm really proud of it!”
Karwai Tang/WireImage
Jennifer Lawrence, Best Female Actor-Motion Picture-Drama
“Playing Grace was one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences of my career. I’m grateful to Marty Scorsese for sharing this story with me and thinking of me for Grace. Thank you to the incomparable poet, Lynne Ramsay, for the care she took with every frame - and to the Golden Globes for this recognition. It’s truly inspiring to be in the company of such great talent.”
A24
Rose Byrne, Best Female Actor-Motion Picture-Musical/Comedy
“I am so honored to be nominated amongst this extraordinary group of actresses; I am speechless. Writer and director, Mary Bronstein gave me the opportunity of a lifetime in her movie If I Had Legs I’d Kick You for A24. She trusted me with her deeply personal story. took her EIGHT years to get this singular film made and I share this nomination with her.”
Watch the Golden Globes 2026 Sunday, Jan. 11, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on CBS and streaming on Paramount+.
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