Marty Supreme has emerged as a major title during this awards season, and it’s already landed some major honors. Directed and co-written by Josh Safdie, the Timothée Chalamet-led film is being praised for a myriad of reasons, and the casting is definitely a factor. Chalamet, Gwyneth Paltrow, Odessa A’zion, Tyler the Creator and Kevin O’Leary are among the main cast, and there are also other familiar faces present. Interestingly enough, it turns out Robert Pattinson also plays a character in the movie, and I never would’ve guessed it.
Generally, Pattinson is a recognizable star and easy to point out in a given film, even if his role is small and he only appears on screen briefly. Upon learning about his Marty Supreme role, though, I couldn’t recall ever seeing his face once throughout the movie. That’s actually because the British actor doesn’t physically appear at any point. Safdie revealed Pattinson’s inclusion during a London’s BFI Southbank and explained (via Variety) how he landed on the Batman star’s specific role:
It’s like a little easter egg. Nobody knows about that. … He came and watched some stuff and I was like, I don’t know any British people. So he’s the umpire.
To be more specific, Robert Pattinson voices the umpire that provides commentary during the British Open semifinals, where Marty Mauser competes early in the film. I probably would’ve never known Pattinson provided the voice of that umpire had Josh Safdie not said anything. What I also find funny is that Safdie decided to turn to his former collaborator for an assist, given the fact that he apparently doesn’t know many people from across the pond.
Pattinson previously worked with Josh and Benny Safdie on their 2017 film, the critically acclaimed Good Time. That fever dream of a film sees Pattinson playing a crook who tries to evade police after a botched robbery all while trying to bail out his developmentally disabled brother. It’s easily one of Pattinson’s best movies and, given his visceral turn as Constantine Nikas, I’d been itching to see him work with the Safdies again. While Pattinson’s Marty cameo is a welcome surprise, I’d prefer to see him do something more substantial in a movie helmed by a Safdie sibling.
There is still a lot to appreciate about the box office record-setting Marty Supreme, and it definitely tracks with Josh Safdie’s storytelling sensibilities. Set in the 1950s, it tells the story of professional table tennis player Marty Mauser, who seeks to rise above his working-class background and achieve success. In that pursuit, though, Mauser doesn’t mind screwing over a few people, though a number of viewers still find themselves rooting for the shifty protagonist.
While Timothée Chalamet leads the film in an impeccable way, the supporting cast, which may be distracting to some, is great. Robert Pattinson’s (uncredited) inclusion in the ensemble also makes for a great behind-the-scenes fact. Here’s hoping, however, that the beloved Pattinson can take on a bigger role in another film from one of the Safdies at some point down the road.
Marty Supreme is now playing in theaters nationwide and is also set to be available on video on demand services starting on February 3.