Shark Tank star Kevin O’Leary has made his acting debut in the upcoming 2025 sports comedy-drama “Marty Supreme,” despite friends and advisors warning him “not to take this role.”
From Boardroom To Big Screen
O’Leary, known for his sharp business instincts on Shark Tank, has stepped into Hollywood, playing Milton Rockwell, a wealthy and abrasive businessman in the 1952-set film Marty Supreme.
“So when I got offered this part, a lot of people that are around my sphere—advisors, agents, whatever—said, ‘Don’t do this…You don’t know how to act,” O’Leary recalled in an interview on CNBC this week.
Despite the warnings, O’Leary accepted the role, drawn by the character’s alignment with his own no-nonsense persona.
Josh Safdie called and said they were writing Marty Supreme and there’s a character named Milton Rockwell—the richest man in America, 1952, and “a total A-hole,” the investor recalled saying it was, “perfect.”
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Marty Supreme World Is Immersed In The 1950s
O’Leary described how the movie’s authentic set design, period wardrobe and props helped him get into character.
On day one, he shot seven pages with Timothée Chalamet and Gwyneth Paltrow. The watches, the clothes, the environment—they all scream 1952, said O’Leary, adding that after a few takes, “the cadence of the scene” took over and he was even able to improvise.
Working with Chalamet, who stars as Marty Mauser, an aspiring ping pong champion, was particularly inspiring, said the Shark Tank star.
“There’s sparks flying off that guy. He’s amazing and all of a sudden you’re in it and you don’t even know your reading lines anymore, and that’s the magic,” O’Leary said.
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What Is The Marty Supreme Movie All About
Directed and co-written by Safdie, with a script by Ronald Bronstein, Marty Supreme is loosely based on American table tennis player Marty Reisman.
The film also stars Paltrow as Kay Stone, a wealthy socialite who forms a bond with Marty and features Odessa A’zion, Tyler Okonma, Abel Ferrara and Fran Drescher in supporting roles.
Marty Supreme premiered at the 2025 New York Film Festival on Oct. 6 and is set for a U.S. release by A24 on Dec. 25, 2025.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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