In Marty Supreme, Timothée Chalamet’s Marty Mauser—an obnoxious, screw-everyone sycophant—is determined to become the world’s greatest table tennis player. Only one man stands in his way: Endo, the reigning champ from Japan, who thrashes him at a tournament in London. Marty takes the loss so hard that he spends the rest of the film trying to get revenge.
Endo, the movie’s ultimate opp, is played by Koto Kawaguchi, a 26-year-old real-life table tennis champion from Japan. He’s been playing professionally since 2019 but had never acted before. As Endo, steely-eyed and lightning-fast, he becomes the movie’s oddly shaped antihero. We’re rooting for him to win so he can put Marty Mauser in his place, but also to lose so our hard-to-love underdog can finally achieve something.
When he signed on, Kawaguchi had no idea what the movie was, who Timothée Chalamet was, or how big the movie would become,. In his first-ever interview as an actor, he joins our call in the early evening Tokyo time from his home, wearing a black Under Armour sweatshirt. Despite being a champion in his sport, his profession still feels like a vocation, and he looks like he’s just landed back on earth after a whirlwind press across the United States.
Douglas Greenwood: Hey Koto! How are you feeling about the movie coming out in a few days?
Koto Kawaguchi: It feels kind of strange. I’m almost shy about it. When they first reached out, I thought it was a scam. I kept thinking, “Why just a normal man like me?” But now it’s finished, I see it as such a special experience.
Can we talk about how you got the part?
I play table tennis for Toyota, and they made an audition video for me. It was sent to Michael [the translator], who showed it to Josh, the director. And that was that.
Is there any difference between playing table tennis for the camera and playing competitively?
I didn’t prepare anything in particular. I just focused on playing the way I always do. I focused more on expressing myself.
Did you ever think you’d be an actor?
I like movies. I watch them. But I never imagined I’d act in one.
What kind of movies do you like?
I recently watched Yes Man, which was awesome.
Did anything about making Marty Supreme surprise you?
I learned so much about filmmaking. I didn’t know we would do costume tests. I watched Josh decide on camera positions and think through each shot. All of that was really big for me!
Did you know who Timothée Chalamet was?
I didn’t know who he was the first time I spoke to him. Later, I looked him up and realized how famous he is. Some of my friends told me too.
Did you understand why people find him so special?
Yes. He can improvise. It’s hard to show expression when you’re focussed on the game, but Timothée told me he’d been watching videos of professional table tennis players and learned those expressions from them. When the camera starts rolling, he can instantly change his mood. He can cry or get angry just like that. I really admire his skill.
Do you see yourself in Marty Mauser at all?
Maybe the 2025 version of me. A lot was happening at the same time in my life. I had work, and I had a baby. I relate with the idea of focusing everything in one direction. But I’m not that much of a scumbag.
What do you enjoy besides table tennis and movies?
I like traveling. And I like saunas.
Is there anyone you’d especially want to see the movie?
I’m so shy, I don’t really want to show it to anyone! But maybe my wife and my mom.
Marty Supreme is in US and UK cinemas now.