The Reason Timothée Chalamet Thanked Mr. Wonderful at the Golden Globes

The 83rd Golden Globe Awards, which took place on Jan. 11, 2026, brought together some of TV and film’s most talented stars in one room. Among them was Timothée Chalamet, who snagged the award for Male Actor in a Motion Picture (Musical or Comedy) for his role in Marty Supreme.

During his acceptance speech, he did what many actors do: He thanked the people who brought the project to life. Of course, he also had to call out his partner, Kylie Jenner. But mixed into the speech was also a thank you to Shark Tank’s toughest shark, Kevin O’Leary, aka Mr. Wonderful, who happened to be sitting at a table among other A-list celebs. But why did Timothée thank Mr. Wonderful (and why was he even there)?

During his award acceptance speech for his role in Marty Supreme, Timothée Chalamet thanked the “amazing cast,” which included Gwyneth Paltrow, Odessa A'zion, and Tyler, the Creator. He also gave a shout-out to Mr. Wonderful because he, too, was part of the A24 film’s cast. Mr. Wonderful actually made his acting debut in Marty Supreme, playing Milton Rockwell, a wealthy ink mogul.

After mentioning his name, Timothée joked, “If you would have told me when I was 19 years old I’d be thanking Mr. Wonderful from Shark Tank,” which prompted laughter from the crowd, and from Mr. Wonderful himself, and then continued, “All rright, you’re laughing, so I got away with that. Thank you, Kevin … I would have been stunned, but I would have been grateful.”

So Timothée’s thanks to Mr. Wonderful was just him thanking a member of the cast. And, according to many, Mr. Wonderful was surprisingly wonderful in the film. While his role didn’t replicate his real life, it mirrored some aspects, like being a wealthy investor looking for his next opportunity.

In the film, Mr. Wonderful sponsors Marty and takes him under his wing. But Marty, the ambitious entrepreneur and table tennis pro he is, gets entangled in a bit of a mess on his way up, including having an affair with Milton’s (Kevin’s character) wife, Kay Stone, played by Gwyneth Paltrow.

While you might be surprised that Mr. Wonderful can now add acting to his resume, he was more intrigued by the script itself. In an interview with ABC7, he said it “encapsulates, embodies, in a kinetic, visceral, chaotic way, the essence of the American Dream.”

He added that he relates to Marty because “I remember being Marty. I know what that’s like, and I think that’s why my character connected with him.” He also explained that the movie helped capture the concept of entrepreneurship, that “it’s not a destination, it’s a journey,” adding, “It was really a great chronicle of what it’s like to be an entrepreneur.”

Marty Supreme tells the story of a table tennis legend based in New York in the 1950s. While it’s not entirely based on a true story, it is loosely inspired by the life of Marty Reisman, who was a table tennis star in the 1940s and ’50s, according to Today. The film takes bits and pieces from Reisman’s memoir, The Money Player: The Confessions of America's Greatest Table Tennis Champion and Hustler, and uses them to shape the character Marty, played by Timothée.

Some of the similarities between the Marty in the film and the real-life Marty include relying on their ping pong skills to make money and being “a bit of a showman and a showoff even then,” as Marty wrote in his memoir, per Today. While the film is now drawing attention to the real Marty, he actually passed away on Dec. 7, 2012, at the age of 82.