Timothée Chalamet’s new movie, Marty Supreme, follows the journey of a pro ping-pong player — but is it based on a true story?

Chalamet stars as Marty Mauser, an inspiring 1950s table tennis player. The film also stars Gwyneth Paltrow, Fran Drescher, Odessa A’zion, Kevin O’Leary, Abel Ferrara, Tyler, the Creator and more.

While Marty Mauser is not a real person, the character is based on the real-life ping-pong star, Marty Reisman. Marty Supreme is not a direct reflection of Reisman’s life, but it does serve as a loose interpretation. Director and writer of the A24 production, Josh Safdie, opened up about how he was inspired by Reisman’s dream to put ping-pong on the sports map.

“My goal was to make it as large as I possibly could,” Safdie said in an October 2025 interview with The Hollywood Reporter. “I wanted to honor Marty Mauser’s dream to make it the greatest sport in the world. I like imagining an alternative path of history where the sport did become as big as tennis — and I had to act that way because I was making it from Marty’s point of view.”

Marty Supreme hits theaters on Christmas Day.

Keep scrolling for everything to know about the plot of Marty Supreme:

What Is ‘Marty Supreme’ About?

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

Is Marty Supreme a Biopic?

While Marty Supreme features plenty of historical elements, it is not biographical. The story is loosely based on Resiman’s rise to fame as one of the best table tennis players in history, which is why Chalamet’s character and Resiman share the same first name. Safdie previously stated that Marty Supreme is an “homage” to Reisman, rather than a biopic.

Who Is Marty Reisman?

Before becoming one of the biggest names in table tennis, Reisman started off playing the sport for bets and hustling for money. At age 15, Reisman bet $500 on himself at a national tournament in Detroit with a man he believed to be a bookie. The man turned out to be the head of the United States Table Tennis Association.

Following the incident, Reisman turned over a new leaf and began playing legitimately, going on to win his first bronze medal at the 1948 World Table Tennis Championships. The following year, he took home three medals at the 1949 World Table Tennis Championships.

In 1997, Reisman made history when he became the oldest player to win an open national competition in a racket sport by winning the 1997 United States National Hardbat Championship at age 67.

Reisman won 22 table tennis titles throughout his career. He retired from the sport in 2002. The athlete went on to become the president of Table Tennis Nation and held the position until his death in December 2012 at age 82.