The Universe According to Timothée
“My superpower is my fearlessness.” Down the hall, unaware of a group of grade school girls practicing tendus in mismatched leotards, Timothée Chalamet had been walking in circles for an hour. He experimented with his footfalls, adjusted the swing of his gait, paused to reset, and touched the tips of his long fingers together. He repeated this circular walk multiple times until it appeared effortless and natural.
We are at a dance studio in Hell’s Kitchen, the same neighborhood where 29-year-old Chalamet grew up. He is rehearsing for a challenging performance that has troubled peers and predecessors alike—promoting his latest project as the leading man. This task can push an actor toward frustration or even cause unforced mistakes during late-night TV appearances.
Chalamet created a unique concept—a mix reminiscent of an acid trip combined with a cadet march. This is his idea alone. Welcome to the press tour for Marty Supreme: Chalamet stands in the center, surrounded by men dressed in black, each wearing a cadmium-orange Ping-Pong ball on their head, about the size of a classroom globe.
Expect to see this group of “pumpkin-headed” foot soldiers often, as Chalamet takes them on the road, adopting an album-release-style strategy for promoting Marty Supreme. The night before, he introduced them on Instagram Live to an audience of 45,000 people, announcing the movie’s Christmas Day release.
“My superpower is my fearlessness.”
Chalamet has devised a concept—and to be clear this is his concept—that might best be described as an acid trip of a cadet march.
Author's summary: Timothée Chalamet combines fearless creativity with a surreal promotional concept to reinvent the art of movie press tours, showcasing bold originality and dedication.