Josh Safdie has revealed that Robert Pattinson quietly makes an appearance in Marty Supreme, reuniting with his Good Time collaborator in an unexpected way. The filmmaker shared the detail during a recent conversation at London’s BFI Southbank, catching fans by surprise with news of Pattinson’s secret contribution to the A24 film.
According to Safdie, Pattinson lends his voice to the film rather than appearing on screen. He plays the commentator and umpire heard during a key early sequence set at the British Open semifinals, where Timothée Chalamet’s ping pong prodigy Marty Mauser goes up against Hungarian champion Bela Kletzki, played by Géza Röhrig. Safdie described it as a deliberate “little Easter egg”, adding, “No one knows this, but that voice—the commentator, the umpire—is Pattinson.”
Safdie explained that the cameo came together organically. When Pattinson visited the set and watched footage, the director realised he had found the perfect solution for the role. “I don’t know any British people,” Safdie joked. “So he’s the umpire.”
Pattinson memorably led the Safdie brothers’ 2017 crime thriller Good Time as Connie, a desperate criminal trying to free his developmentally disabled brother from police custody. He is also set to share the screen with Chalamet again in Dune: Part Three, scheduled for release in December 2026, where he will play the shape-shifting antagonist Scytale opposite Chalamet’s Paul Atreides.
During the same BFI event, moderated by Edith Bowman, Safdie reflected on his first encounter with Chalamet, which took place at the afterparty for Good Time. He recalled being introduced to the young actor as “the next superstar”, a claim that initially raised his scepticism. Still, the impression stuck. Safdie described Chalamet as having “this supreme vision of himself”, adding, “He was like Timmy Supreme, and it was intense.”
After watching Call Me by Your Name, Safdie said he was convinced of Chalamet’s star power and went on to develop Marty Supreme with him specifically in mind. “He’s a movie star,” Safdie said. “This intense dreamer. Relentless, driven, this New Yorker.”
When asked during the audience Q&A about his next project, Safdie admitted he is not yet thinking ahead. He shared that the same question once overwhelmed him during a panel following Uncut Gems. “After each film, I’ve got no more gas left in the car,” he said, explaining that he prefers to pause and recharge before moving on to the next idea.