Meet Marty Reisman, the Ping-Pong Hustler Who Inspired Timothee Chalamet’s New Film
A fashion figure, comedian, athlete and more this man did it all
Oscar-nominated actor Timothée Chalamet is ready to take on his next role in the film Marty Supreme, and while his character of the same name might not be real, it was inspired by the highly popular American table tennis player Marty Reisman. Below, we look into Reisman’s life, how he became a cultural icon in the 1950s and why 13 years after his death, a film loosely based on his life has been made.
The life of Marty Reisman
Born in February of 1930, Reisman—also known as “The Needle—began playing table tennis at age 12 and never stopped. Throughout his life, he went on to win five bronze medals at the World Table Tennis Championships in the men’s team, men’s singles and mixed doubles.
“Here’s something else you might find funny,” Reisman said in 2010, per Table Magazine. “I’m desperate to get back into competitive table tennis. Do you know why? I felt I was in a life-and-death struggle with old age. It was horrible. Then I went to bed and said I wasn’t going to let him [death] get me. And I haven’t heard a peep out of him for weeks.”
Along with table tennis, Reisman was also a sports comedian and toured with the Harlem Globetrotters as their opening act alongside his partner, Doug Cartland. During that time, they played “Mary Had a Little Lamb” on pots and pans, which soon became a crowd favorite.
He also wrote a memoir in 1974 entitled The Money Player: The Confessions of America’s Greatest Table Tennis Champion and Hustler, in which he detailed how he became a sports legend through grit, determination, hard work, charisma and unmatched fashion sense.
“The modern game is played with fraud, deceit and deception,” he said per the New York Times. “This racket is the purest reflection of a player’s ability.”
Reisman died in December 2012 from heart complications and lung ailments. He was 82, and to this day is considered to be one the best table tennis athletes of all time. He was survived by his wife Yoshiko, daughter Debbie and grandchildren.
How Marty Reisman influenced Timothée Chalamet’s new movie
Chalamet’s new movie, Marty Supreme, tells the story of a man named Marty as he tries to become a champion tennis player in the 1950s through both talent and personality—similar to Reisman.
Along with Chalamet, the film will star Gwyneth Paltrow, Fran Drescher and Tyler, The Creator and will be directed by Josh Safdie, famous for his 2019 thriller Uncut Gems, starring Adam Sandler.
“This crazy director, Josh Safdie, has kind of that [Uncut Gems] energy, that chaotic thing,” Chalamet said on Theo Von’s podcast This Past Weekend earlier this year. “It wasn’t a low-energy shoot. This was 16-hour days for three months. He put me through the wringer. I felt like he was testing me. Early on, we had stuff that could have been done by stunt guys… and I saw him wanting me to do it.”
As for what Safdie had Chalamet do, that remains a mystery and aside from the hustling, tennis table games and the character’s first name, it’s unclear how much the Marty Supreme movie will be influenced by Reisman’s real life. The film is expected to hit theaters this Christmas and you can watch the trailer for it below.
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