Timothée Chalamet on 'Marty Supreme': "I Was Hit with a Ping-Pong Paddle 40 Times"

As the film 'Marty Supreme' continues its strong run, surpassing 100,000 viewers nationwide just 13 days after its release, behind-the-scenes stories from the production have drawn attention.

'Marty Supreme' is a bold and dynamic film that follows the journey of Marty Mouser, a man obsessed with a dream no one respects, as he goes to hell and back to become the best. The film has been well-received for the passionate performance of Timothée Chalamet in the title role and the stylish direction of Josh Safdie, known for 'Good Time' and 'Uncut Gems'.

◆ The Ending That Almost Featured a Vampire?!

'Marty Supreme' is a film that begins and ends with Marty. The theatrical cut concludes with a scene showing Marty as a father, filled with joy and emotion. The director left it to the audience's imagination whether this ending is happy or unhappy. Interestingly, there was an alternative ending.

Director Josh Safdie revealed, "The initial script for 'Marty Supreme' showed Marty (Timothée Chalamet) as a successful businessman by the late 80s," adding, "I conceived an ending where Milton Rockwell (Kevin O'Leary) bites Marty's neck in the final scene." However, this was deleted when the ending was completely revised, changing to a conclusion where Marty returns to his homeland after ending his fierce battle with his fated rival, Endo (Goto Kawaguchi).

◆ Based on a Real-Life Episode

The second behind-the-scenes story concerns the concentration camp scene where Bela Kletzky (Géza Röhrig) makes prisoners eat honey spread over his body.

Alex Ehrlich, a Polish Jew who appears in the biography of Marty Reisman—which Director Josh Safdie used as a reference for 'Marty Supreme'—was saved multiple times by Nazi soldiers who recognized him as a champion table tennis player while he was imprisoned at Auschwitz.

This anecdote was adapted into the film as a story of survival for Bela Kletzky, Marty's friend and fellow table tennis player, who learns how to defuse bombs during his time in the camp. In reality, Alex Ehrlich once returned after defusing a bomb in the woods covered in honey from a beehive he discovered, and prisoners licked the honey off his body. This story was brought to the screen, leaving a powerful impression.

◆ Timothée Chalamet Hit with a Real Ping-Pong Paddle

The final behind-the-scenes story is about Timothée Chalamet's dedicated performance, where he was hit on his bare buttocks with a real ping-pong paddle. It has been revealed that Chalamet volunteered to participate in the stunt himself for the scene where Marty visits successful businessman Milton Rockwell to make a deal in order to secure a spot at the Tokyo World Championships.

Kevin O'Leary, who plays Rockwell, said, "We intended to use a fake paddle to soften the impact, but the prop broke on the first hit, so we had to use a real one." It was also revealed that to enhance the quality, Director Josh Safdie demanded about 40 takes until 4:00 AM, providing detailed direction to capture the impact realistically. For Marty, who stops at nothing to realize his dreams, the scene of being hit on the buttocks has become a major topic of conversation as a pivotal moment that brings humiliation to the protagonist.



(SBS Entertainment News Reporter Kim Ji-hye)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.