Marty Supreme Casts a Legendary Magician in an Unrecognizable Cameo

Beware of some spoilers for “Marty Supreme in this article.

“Marty Supreme” is one of the best films of the year. The film is so good that Timothée Chalamet probably doesn’t need to embark on a marketing blitz, tease a possible secret rapper identityAnd standing at the top of the Sphere in Las Vegas. But we’re certainly not upset that he’s going out of his way to promote Josh Safdie’s exceptional, chaotic and magnetic film, in which the “Wonka” and “Dune” star plays Marty Mauser, a confident and ambitious table tennis player in 1950s New York, jumping from one hustle to the next to achieve his ultimate dream of being the world champion in this booming sport.

Aside from Chalamet’s incredible performance, which may well be the best of his career, he’s also surrounded by an impressive and surprising ensemble of actors, such as Oscar winner Gwyneth Paltrow, “Shark Tank” judge Kevin O’Leary (aka Mr. Fantastic), rising star Odessa A’zion, Tyler Okonma (aka rapper Tyler the Creator) and filmmaker Abel Ferrara, who rarely stars in American productions.

But there’s one supporting star you might not recognize, because he looks almost nothing like he usually does when he’s performing magic tricks with his longtime partner. Penn Jillette, one half of the magician duo known as Penn & Teller, makes an appearance in “Marty Supreme” with a small but crucial supporting role, and it might take you a minute to realize it’s him.

So who plays Penn Jillette? Let’s break it down.

Marty Mauser gets into serious trouble as he lies, cheats and steals his way through New York, constantly trying to earn enough money for an international flight to another table tennis tournament, specifically the world championship in Tokyo. During his wild escapades, he accepts the responsibility of taking an old man’s dog to the vet, for a fee of course. This is after Mauser took a bath and fell through the floor of his hotel bathroom, crushing the old man’s arm in the room below, where he was bathing the dog. Fortunately, the dog is unharmed, but his night will not improve.

With the dog in tow and some money from the old man, Mauser teams up with Wally (Tyler the Creator), one of his table tennis buddies who also drives a taxi, to go wild at a rural bowling alley that also has table tennis action. After the commotion goes remarkably well, the duo are partying and refueling Wally’s taxi when their victims find them and realize their ruse. As a chase ensues, the old man’s dog falls out of the taxi at high speed and flees into a roadside farm field.

The next day, Mauser goes looking for the dog with his pregnant girlfriend Rachel (Odessa A’zion). When they check a nearby farm, Mauser sees the dog inside the farmer’s house. This farmer is none other than Penn Jillette, but he plays dumb when it comes to finding the dog. When questioned further, the farmer retrieves a rifle from his house, creating yet another chaotic scene, resulting in Rachel driving the car (which doesn’t belong to them, by the way) into the farmer and a porch on the side of his house before speeding off (a moment seen quickly in the trailers).

It’s just one of many intense and frenetic scenes in “Marty Supreme,” which should come as no surprise to anyone who’s seen “Good Time” and Uncut Gems. ” Additionally, this farmer returns in another stressful scene near the end of the film.

Penn Jillette is just one of many intriguing casting decisions made for “Marty Supreme,” which is why the film is on the shortlist for the new Best Cast category (via Variety) which will be part of the Oscars this awards season. Other surprising cast members include sitcom icon Fran Drescher, “Man on Wire” actor Philippe Petit and “Barstool Idol” contestant Luke Manley (or Lukey Lunchbox), and fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi, to name a few.

As for how Josh Safdie ended up landing Penn Jillette for this role, we don’t have the answer. But the wonderful thing is that he delivers an authentic performance that doesn’t require him to draw on his career as a magician, and he delivers like any professional actor. Maybe a new era awaits Jillette after “Marty Supreme”.

“Marty Supreme” is currently in theaters.