John Catsimatidis Makes Film Debut in Timothée Chalamet's "Marty Supreme"

City billionaire John Catsimatidis has stepped into the limelight, making his film debut in Timothée Chalamet's latest project, "Marty Supreme." The 76-year-old supermarket mogul is not just acting; he’s also capitalizing on his experiences with rising costs.

"I actually got paid! I’m a member of SAG. And so I got a new career at my age," Catsimatidis shared, revealing his excitement about this new venture.

Producer Josh Safdie sought out Catsimatidis for the film, which centers around a fictional table-tennis star named Marty Mauser. "He was looking for Upper West Side people and approached me, and I said, ‘Yeah! Sounds like fun!’” Catsimatidis recounted.

In addition to his film role, Catsimatidis is known for his WABC radio show, where he frequently discusses the escalating costs of living in New York City. He will appear in "two or three scenes" of the film, which draws inspiration from the life of ping pong legend Marty Reisman, who once operated a parlor in a building owned by Catsimatidis.

In a brief cameo featured in the film's trailer released Wednesday, Catsimatidis shares the screen with Chalamet. The scene involves Chalamet attempting to sell custom orange ping pong balls. “A custom ball like that, it’s going to cost a lot of money,” Catsimatidis remarks to the actor.

Interestingly, Catsimatidis admitted he was unfamiliar with Chalamet prior to filming. “I never knew who he was! I was complaining to the director that he was getting a bigger role than me!” he joked.

It remains uncertain if Chalamet recognized Catsimatidis before their collaboration. The filming process proved lengthy for Catsimatidis, with his ping pong scene taking up to seven hours to complete. “I would say I’m used to days of work for five days,” he noted. “[Filming] was like 14-hour days. By the time I got [done], it was like midnight.”