Timothée Chalamet’s hopes for Oscar glory were dashed on Sunday when his film Marty Supreme failed to win any of its nine nominations. Despite a massive promotional campaign and a $179m box office haul, the film walked away empty-handed, with Chalamet losing the Best Actor award to Michael B. Jordan.
The film, directed by Josh Safdie and featuring a cameo from Gwyneth Paltrow, was initially seen as a frontrunner after Chalamet won a Golden Globe and other critics’ awards. However, the tide turned when he lost the BAFTA to Robert Aramayo and the SAG Award to Jordan, with Marty Supreme also missing out on Best Picture to Sinners.
Chalamet’s relentless self-promotion, which included Marty-themed merchandise, a giant ping-pong ball at Madison Square Garden, and a blimp, may have backfired. His acceptance speech at the SAG Awards, where he declared he was “in pursuit of greatness” and wanted to be “one of the greats,” was seen by some as arrogant.
In recent interviews, Chalamet described his performances over the past eight years as “top-level sh*t”, further fuelling criticism. The actor’s naked ambition, reminiscent of his character Marty Mauser, appears to have turned off voters and the public alike.
Despite his film becoming A24’s highest-grossing release, Chalamet’s failure to convert buzz into Oscars reflects a growing voter backlash against overexposure and perceived conceit. The result is a stark reminder that even star power cannot guarantee awards success.
