Timothée Chalamet on Marty Supreme, his twenties and his love of Susan Boyle

Timothée Chalamet is a man who is prepared to practise.

For his latest film role in tennis tennis tale Marty Supreme, he spent seven years mastering the sport.

“I got approached with this project in 2018. So that basically gave me six, seven years to prepare on and off. In all my downtime, I would train as much as possible,” he enthuses.

Chalamet’s dedication to movie roles is part of his success. His ping pong preparation period was actually longer than the five years he spent learning to play the guitar for his Oscar-nominated role in A Complete Unknown.

“I think the responsibility in this movie, like in the Bob Dylan movie, if you were a Dylan fan or a guitar player, [is to make sure] that that looks real to you on screen. Similarly here, if you’re a ping-pong aficionado, that that looks believable to you.”

His dedication included taking his table tennis table into the desert while filming Dune, and it was oompah-loompah ping-pong between takes on Wonka.

“Certainly, by the time the French Dispatch was coming out [in 2021], I have a video – at risk of being unrelatable, I was in a beautiful Airbnb on a cliffside for the Cannes Film Festival,” he continues.

“And I had a table with me. So I have a video of training with friends. It’s like a gorgeous sunset.”

At this point, Chalamet goes misty eyed, mentally transporting himself back to the days when he was honing his backhand on the French Riviera.

“I get to live this awesome life where I work on these projects that actually are near and dear to my heart. A lot of actors don’t get the chance to work, let alone work on things they actually are passionate about.

“There’s worse things in life than having to learn how to play the guitar and play table tennis at a high level.”

Chalamet’s frenetically entertaining performance in Marty Supreme has already landed him best actor nominations at both the Golden Globes and the Critics Choice Awards, and the Oscar race is currently seen as a head-to-head between him and Leonardo DiCaprio.

The film is based on real-life post-war table tennis star Marty Reisman. The semi-fictionalised film version, Marty Mauser, however, has some dubious morals, getting involved in a heist and trying to destroy the marriage of his biggest sponsor, who he resents.

Despite his questionable on-screen actions, Chalamet is a big fan of his character.

“You know, when you’re in your early twenties, you’re an idiot,” he laughs. “And this movie, in large part, is about being an idiot in your early twenties.

“And if on top of that, you have a passion that you’re singular about, you risk looking foolish in addition to being an idiot.”

The actor’s twenties are about to end. He will turn 30 on 27 December, the day after Marty Supreme opens in cinemas.

This landmark birthday presents the perfect chance to ask him how he looks back at his twenties, a decade in which he has twice been nominated for best actor at the Oscars (for Call Me By You Name and A Complete Unknown).

A huge smile comes over his face. “It’s been great. You know, it’s been awesome.

“I feel like I’m living in a dream. I’m on top of a fancy hotel in London and talking about a film I’m deeply passionate about.”

His character Marty Mauser exudes the same confidence that Chalamet demonstrated while collecting his best actor SAG Award this year.

During his acceptance speech, he pontificated that he is “really in pursuit of greatness”.

“I know people don’t usually talk like that, but I want to be one of the greats,” he said, before listing actors Daniel Day Lewis, Marlon Brando, Viola Davis, basketball legend Michael Jordan and swimmer Michael Phelps as people to whom he wanted to be compared.

I ask him where his confidence comes form.

“You know, it ebbs and flows. And I feel like that’s kind of what keeps me on my toes.

“It’s my New York mentality insofar as if I’m on a movie or in a social situation, if things are going well, you feel great. And if not, the world’s falling apart,” he says, showing vulnerability for the first time since we met.

“And I think increasingly in my life, like as I approach 30 here in a couple weeks, you want to be more on your feet. You want to grow into yourself. But that is a huge learning curve. And I try not to be too hard on myself or those around me who are also growing.”

One thing that is totally clear is his love of the big screen.

In the same month that Netflix has announced its intention to buy Warner Bros, one of Hollywood’s major film studios, Marty Supreme is a film that will have a wide cinema release and has not been made for any streaming service.

“That is an intense question,” Chalamet muses after I ask him if he thinks cinemas will actually survive the length of his career.

“I do think with streaming stuff, there’s less incentive for these streaming companies to try to put things in theatres, which is dangerous.

“But equally, I do think cinemas will survive and thrive. And that’s not to be a false optimist.”

And he wants to play his part.

“I feel like my responsibility as a young actor, especially, is less to go, ‘Hey, how do we get people to revisit this traditional form?’ and rather to go, ‘Hey, how do we take this traditional form and bring it to people?'”

Chalamet sincerely believes that Marty Supreme will, in its own way, help cinemas.

“This is an original film at a time where a lot of original films aren’t made.

“And there’s no part of me that’s a salesman that’s saying this, but I’ve never been more confident in saying, ‘Hey, if you bring yourself to see this movie, you won’t be let down’. It’s really like a slingshot.”

One of Chalamet’s ways of “bringing the film to the people” has been to embark on a highly original Marty Supreme promotional tour.

There was a fake “leaked” marketing zoom call, with him pitching increasingly deranged ideas.

He has worn matching orange outfits at premieres with both his girlfriend Kylie Jenner and his mum.

And for the last month, he has also been presenting jackets bearing the film’s title to people he deems as being true greats.

Honourees so far include singer Frank Ocean, former NFL player Tom Brady and Barcelona’s Spanish wunderkind Lamine Yamal.

I ask which Brits would be worthy.

“Lewis Hamilton, David and Victoria,” he begins, referring to the seven-time Formula One champion and the Beckhams.

“Fakemink,” he continues, naming the underground London rapper who recently teamed up with EsDeeKid, the anonymous Liverpool drill artist who many have speculated may be Chalamet in disguise

(“No comment,” is his reply when pressed on this. “All will be revealed.”)

But Chalamet’s final pick for a great Briton comes totally out of left field.

After a long pause and some deep thought, he reveals his answer: “Susan Boyle.”

Yes, it turns out that one of the biggest movie stars on the planet is an admirer of the 64-year-old former Britain’s Got Talent star, who went on to have two US number one albums.

“She dreamt bigger than all of us,” he explains, without any hint of irony.

“Who wasn’t moved by that?” he says about the 2009 viral clip of the Scottish singer performing I Dreamed A Dream from Les Misérables on the talent show.

“I remember that like it was yesterday,” the actor says. “That was like the advent of YouTube, you know.”

Timothée Chalamet – about to turn 30 and more than ready to channel his inner Susan Boyle and dream his own dream.

Marty Supreme will be released on Boxing Day.