Is Timothée Chalamet’s Supreme Marty based on a real person?

Timothée Chalamethis new movie, Marty Supremefollows the journey of a professional ping pong player – but is it based on a true story?

Chalamet plays Marty Mauser, an inspiring 1950s table tennis player. The film also stars Gwyneth Paltrow, Father Drant, Odessa Azion, Kevin O’Leary, Abel Ferrara, Tyler, the Creator And more.

Although Marty Mauser is not a real person, the character is based on the real-life ping-pong star, Marty Raisman. Marty Supreme This is not a direct reflection of Reisman’s life, but serves as a loose interpretation. A24 production director and writer, Josh Safdietalked about how he was inspired by Raisman’s dream of putting table tennis on the sports map.

“My goal was to make it as big as possible,” Safadi said in an October 2025 interview. Hollywood Reporter. “I wanted to honor Marty Mauser’s dream of making it the greatest sport in the world. I like to imagine an alternative path to history where this sport became as big as tennis — and I had to act that way because I was making it from Marty’s point of view.”

Marty Supreme It hits theaters on Christmas Day.

Keep scrolling to know all about the plot Marty Supreme:

What is “Marty Supreme”?

Marty Supreme It tells the story of Marty Mauser, who dreams of becoming a professional table tennis player. When no one believes his dream is possible, Marty must prove his critics wrong by turning ping-pong into a respectable sport in the 1950s.

Is Marty Supreme a biopic?

While Marty Supreme features many historical elements, it is not autobiographical. The story is loosely based on Raiseman’s rise to fame as one of the best table tennis players in history, which is why Chalamet’s character and Raiseman share the same first name. Safdie has previously stated that Marty Supreme is a “tribute” to Raisman, not a biopic.

Who is Marty Raisman?

Before becoming one of the biggest names in table tennis, Raisman started playing the sport to bet and make money. At age 15, Raisman bet $500 on himself on a national championship in Detroit with a man he thought was a bookie. The man turns out to be the president of the United States Table Tennis Association.

After the accident, Raisman turned over a new leaf and began playing legitimately, winning his first bronze medal at the 1948 World Table Tennis Championships. The following year, he claimed three medals at the 1949 World Table Tennis Championships.

In 1997, Raisman made history by becoming the oldest player to win a national open racquetball competition by winning the 1997 US National Hardball Championship at the age of 67.

Raisman won 22 table tennis titles throughout his career. He retired from the sport in 2002. The athlete became president of the Table Tennis Federation and held this position until his death in December 2012 at the age of 82.