Marty Supreme’s breakout star…
is my cousin.
Here’s all the news that’s unfit to print A.K.A What I’m Thinking About:
Can you improve your eye health by rolling your eyes? My new favorite Substack that is only about eye health claims that you can.
In Rome, They Call Him Maestro. Alex Vadukul of The New York Times goes long on legendarily complicated filmmaker Abel Ferrara.
Valentino died. I can see the dress he made for Jackie O when she married Aristotle Onassis under my eyelids.
Speaking of my favorite Timesmen: Jon Caramanica and Joe Coscarelli interviewed 2Hollis and his dad, breaking boundaries in the nepotism spheres. I think they should do Cameron Winters and his mom next.
My spiritual big sister and bully Liana Satenstein told me to get a Smythson planner.
The NYC DSA is hosting “Know Your Rights” trainings across the city to help community members learn how to defend themselves in interactions with ICE. The next one is on May 7.
My friend sent me this podcast episode where Michael Cera and Jonah Hill talk about Superbad and Elaine May, which basically hits all of my interests and is a very interesting listen.
Maybe it’s Timothée Chalamet’s surprisingly earnest Oscar campaign, or the crazy orange ball press tour, but Marty Supreme was definitely the buzziest movie of the past year. If you’re living in New York, thanks to Josh Safdie’s penchant for casting non-actors, it feels like everyone from your favorite New Yorker columnist, to the guy on Shark Tank, to your cousin was in it. As it happens, my cousin Isaac actually was in it.
Isaac is my cousin in the sense that he is my mother’s nephew, which made it all the more shocking when he started posting on Instagram that he had a role in Marty Supreme. He plays Roger, an amateur pingpong player that gets hustled by Marty Mauser. Isaac is 6’9 and really good at ping pong. He is so tall that one time I took a photo of him standing next to 7’2 basketball center Dikembe Mutombo and they both looked average height (Mutombo happened to walk into the coffee shop we were in). Currently Isaac runs the internship program at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York.
Nicolaia Rips: Heya. How would you describe your character?
Isaac Simon: Roger is a tough Jersey boy. He’s confident, very comfortable in his own environment. He gives off the vibe of a hometown hero.
How did you end up in Marty Supreme? You’ve been very tightlipped about it.
As you know, my Dad and I collect rare baseball cards. Three summers ago, I was at a card show and I saw two people who happened to be Josh Safdie and casting director Jennifer Venditti. Jennifer came up to me, and asked if I would be willing to take a two minute video. She explained she was looking to cast people for an upcoming project. Two years later, I get an e-mail from one of Jennifer’s assistants inviting me to audition for a project. At the audition I could hear people playing ping pong in the background, which was funny because a few days prior I had read a Variety ad that said Timotheé Chalamet was set to play the role of Marty in Marty Supreme.
I had two auditions and didn’t really know what to make of either of them. I assumed they had found someone else but they kept reaching out to me. One thing just led to another. Throughout this time I was really nervous, not because I might be in a movie, but because I was taking these random long lunch breaks [to audition] and was worried I was going to be fired from my job.
Do you feel like the time you spent playing ping pong in our grandmother’s basement prepared you for your role in Marty Supreme?
I’m sure those games were the beginning of something. I have fond memories of playing after Shabbat dinners but I really started playing when I got older. I was always a pretty good athlete and had good hand-eye coordination. I also played a fair bit with my dad at different spots throughout Gotham.
I know you’re a massive cinephile. Give me your top three movies of all time.
The Cincinnati Kid is up there. Another favorite is Citizen Kane. His use of deep focus and the way he built out a story always stuck with me. My third favorite is Hoosiers, the ending gets me every time. Gene Hackman, Barbara Hershey, and Dennis Hopper. It doesn’t get much better than that.
What was it like working with Josh Safdie and Timothée Chalamet?
It was surreal and exciting and thrilling all at once. Again, I’d never acted before. There was no time to be nervous. I had to work fast because Josh worked fast. He’s so incredibly present and is an active participant in every aspect of his own creative process. It was amazing to be on a movie set where I always felt he was actively alongside me in case I ever needed anything. He gave great direction and provided great feedback whenever he wanted something a little bit different. It was really fun to roll with Josh’s last-minute changes and modifications. As for Timothée, similar to Josh, he was a true class act. The ultimate professional. Timothée has this great knack for making the people around him feel super comfortable on set.
What was the most surprising part of the experience?
Getting a front row seat to the film process. It’s one thing to know that hundreds of people are involved in the making of a movie, it’s another thing to see the different facets constantly in motion, from base camp, to hair and make-up, to being shuttled to set. Everything needs to work together in order for anything to work at all. I remember that first moment of walking on set at the bowling alley and seeing the immaculate set design. It felt like I was stepping into the world of 1952. When I wasn’t acting it was like I had a VIP ticket to the creation of cinema. It was beautiful.
Are you going to become a full-time actor now?
That’s certainly the dream. I loved the thrill and the challenge of taking on a created identity, especially a Safdie character. My dad is a film historian, and I was raised with a love for classic cinema. While I always had tremendous respect for the craft, I never thought about becoming an actor. But the process was so much fun. I feel so lucky that my first opportunity was working with Jennifer and Josh and I’d love to work with other incredible directors if I’m fortunate enough.
My boyfriend Ben, an eBay obsessive who spends half of his allotted screen time sending me photos of boots that all look the same, rounded up some great sunglass options for these bright winter days:
1960s with a Jewel on the temples. It’s very ladies who lunch!
“As you know, my Dad and I collect rare baseball cards.” that sentence alone told me all i need to know. he is beyond locked in.
Boyfriend Ben 😍