At a Glance
- Robert Downey Jr. told a Q&A crowd that Gwyneth Paltrow thought Timothée Chalamet’s acne-scarred look in Marty Supreme was real
- Paltrow once advised Chalamet to try microneedling, not realizing the blemishes were prosthetics
- The actors star together in Josh Safdie’s 1950s table-tennis drama now playing in theaters
- Why it matters: It’s a rare behind-the-scenes peek at how convincingly movie makeup can fool even seasoned Hollywood veterans
Robert Downey Jr. has revealed that Gwyneth Paltrow was completely fooled by Timothée Chalamet’s faux bad skin on the set of Marty Supreme, believing the actor’s pockmarks and blemishes were genuine.
Speaking at a Jan. 14 Q&A at the DGA Theater in Los Angeles, Downey Jr. mocked his longtime Marvel colleague for the mix-up.
How the Confusion Unfolded
During the event-held to promote the Josh Safdie film-Downey Jr. told Chalamet that Paltrow had privately confided her surprise at the 30-year-old star’s complexion.
> “Paltrow told me when she met you, she was like, ‘Oh my God, I didn’t know he had bad skin,'” Downey Jr. recounted.
He then delivered the punchline:
> “And I was like, ‘It’s f—ing makeup, Gwyneth.'”
The prosthetic look-complete with pockmarks, beady contact lenses, and vintage glasses-transformed Chalamet into Marty Mauser, a 1950s New York shoe salesman obsessed with table-tennis greatness.
Paltrow’s Microneedling Misfire
The confusion didn’t stop there. On the Dec. 2 episode of The Run-Through with Vogue podcast, Paltrow admitted she once gave Chalamet unsolicited skincare advice.
> “In Marty Supreme, Timothée has pockmarks, and they made his eyes beady with contacts and glasses. And it’s all makeup,” she said. “In real life, he has beautiful skin.”
She continued:
> “He made a comment, and I was like, ‘Oh, you know, you can do microneedling for that.’ And he’s like, ‘This is makeup!’ I was like, ‘Oh, s—.’ I didn’t realize. The makeup was so good that I thought he had little acne scars.”
On-Set Chemistry and Sex Scenes
Despite the awkward misunderstanding, Paltrow praised her co-star’s professionalism-especially during intimate scenes. The pair filmed “a lot” of sex scenes, a dynamic Paltrow anticipated might feel uncomfortable given their age difference.
> “He was 27 or 28, and I was 50-whatever, and, I mean, it’s weird,” she said at a separate Q&A. “I [thought], ‘Oh, if it’s weird for me, then it’s going to probably be really weird for [him],’ but actually, it was fine. It wasn’t that weird.”
She added:
> “He’s so easy to work with. He’s so brilliant and committed and comfortable and confident.”
Cast and Release
Directed by Josh Safdie, Marty Supreme features:
- Timothée Chalamet as Marty Mauser
- Gwyneth Paltrow in a supporting role
- Odessa A’zion
- Kevin O’Leary
- Tyler Okonma
- Abel Ferrara
- Fran Drescher
The film opened in theaters nationwide following its awards-season buzz that already earned Chalamet wins at both the Golden Globes and Critics Choice Awards.
Key Takeaways
- Movie makeup can be so convincing that even experienced actors mistake it for reality
- Paltrow’s good-natured gaffe highlights the impressive craftsmanship of Marty Supreme‘s makeup team
- The anecdote adds a lighthearted footnote to the film’s critical acclaim
