Entertainment
Robert Pattinson Actually Has a Surprise Cameo in ‘Marty Supreme’
The record-breaking A24 hit Marty Supreme has won praise from moviegoers and awards voters alike. Josh Safdie’s tale of an ambitious ping pong player (Timothée Chalamet) chasing the American dream at all costs has captivated all who have seen it, but even those who have attended multiple viewings may not have spotted an audio cameo from a very famous caped crusader. The Batman star Robert Pattinson can be heard (but not seen) as an umpire during one table tennis sequence, where Marty can be seen competing at a tournament in the UK. The appearance was not advertised as part of the film’s promotion, nor was it spotted by movie fans. Instead, it was Safdie himself who let the cat out of the bag and explained how it came about.
Robert Pattinson Continues His Association With the Safdies
During an appearance at the British Film Institute in London, reported by Variety, Josh Safdie revealed the hidden cameo. After showing the relevant clips, he said: “No one knows this, but that voice — the commentator, the umpire — is Pattinson. 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.”
It marks another collaboration between the two, after Pattinson worked with Josh and Benny Safdie on the 2017 crime drama Good Time. In it, the star plays a manipulative small-time crook who uses every trick in the book to try to free his brother (Benny Safdie) from custody after a robbery gone wrong, while also trying to avoid being caught by the police himself. Coming just five years after the end of the Twilight franchise, it was a key part of the actor’s reinvention. Keen to move away from the world of franchise filmmaking, he would choose darker projects with visionary filmmakers, such as Cosmopolis with David Cronenberg, or The Childhood of a Leader with Brady Corbet.
All challenged the public perception of the actor, but none more so than Connie, Good Time’s fast-talking antihero. Fitting in perfectly with the frenetic, chaotic filmmaking style of the Safdies, it would be one of the actor’s signature performances on his way back to big studio films.
‘Good Time’ Was The True Reinvention of Robert Pattinson
While the actor had worked on challenging films prior to this, Good Time was proof that this wasn’t a temporary diversion, and marked the type of career Robert Pattinson wanted from this point forward. Still outrunning the label of “that guy from Twilight,” Connie allowed him to dive into a character unlike any he had played before. Performances such as the one in Cosmopolis are dark and brooding, but Connie is a manipulative, chaotic, selfish person who challenges the viewer to come along with him for the ride, even though it is clear that he is not the hero of his own story.
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It also allowed him to be framed through the lens of The Safdie Brothers, entering a morally gray world and interacting with characters who were out for themselves. Just as the directors brought out something strikingly different from Adam Sandler in 2019’s Uncut Gems, so too did everybody watching Good Time leave with a different impression of Pattinson. When he was announced as the new Batman, anyone doubting whether he had the intensity or grit to play The Dark Knight needed only to watch this performance. As big as Twilight was for the first stage of his career, so too Good Time could be seen as a launchpad for the next steps.
‘Marty Supreme’ is Also a Breakout Hit For Josh Safdie
The award-winning drama is also a test of sorts for Josh Safdie, going it alone after breaking through as part of a directing team. His brother Benny made his own solo effort in October with The Smashing Machine, another story of sporting obsession starring Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt. That project proved unsuccessful in many ways, becoming a box-office disappointment and receiving middling reviews. However, Josh’s first time going it alone since 2008’s The Pleasure of Being Robbed has been a success, proving he has a compelling voice as a storyteller.
What makes his vision so compelling is the attention to detail, inviting us into a meticulously crafted period film where every aspect has been considered (including, as he revealed, the voices of the umpires). The story of Marty isn’t just the story of one man’s ambition, but the environment in which that drive could be propelled to succeed. As he did in previous films, he also perfectly cast his character, with Chalamet’s unrelenting optimism sweeping other characters, and money lovers, off their feet. When Marty remarks, “Everything in my life’s falling apart, but I’m going to figure it out,” you believe him, and whatever strange twist or turn comes along the way, Safdie’s script ensures you’re willing him to overcome it.
While intended as a fun bit of trivia to entice people back to watch the movie, Robert Pattinson and Josh Safdie’s brief collaboration on Marty Supreme finds both men at interesting points in their careers. For Pattinson, it’s the chance to acknowledge the artist that established him as one of Hollywood’s most interesting stars. For Safdie, it’s a reminder of where he came from, as he looks to build in a new direction.
Marty Supreme is now available to rent or buy on VOD services in the U.S.
- Release Date
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December 19, 2025
- Runtime
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150 minutes
- Director
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Josh Safdie
- Producers
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Anthony Katagas, Ronald Bronstein, Timothée Chalamet, Eli Bush, Joe Guest, Jennifer Venditti, John Paul Lopez-Ali, Maiko Endo