Kevin O'Leary Says Reveals Why He's Doing A Movie With Timothée Chalamet: Shark Says The Reason Is An Important Trait In 'Successful People'
Investor and television personality Kevin O'Leary says his decision to step into acting for the first time came from a belief that real growth only happens outside a comfort zone.
O'Leary Says Success Demands Leaving Comfort Zones
In a social media post on Sunday, the "Shark Tank" star wrote, "Why am I acting in a movie with Timothée Chalamet? Because growth happens outside your comfort zone. Successful people spend a big chunk of time doing things they've never done before. Half the time you'll fail. You just don't know which half. That's the fun part."
O'Leary made his big-screen debut in A24's "Marty Supreme," playing 1950s tycoon Milton Rockwell opposite Chalamet's ping-pong obsessive Marty Mauser, a role he has described as a natural extension of his sharp-edged "Mr. Wonderful" persona.
First Film Role Treated Like New Investment
In a video posted alongside the social clip, O'Leary framed the decision in a way that he might discuss a new investment. "So when I was asked to act in a movie, something I've never done before, that's outside your comfort zone for sure if you've never done it before, so I gave it a shot," he said.
O'Leary had only ever been on reality television before taking the role and friends and advisers urged him not to do it, warning he "didn't know how to act."
Director Josh Safdie saw inexperience as an asset. O'Leary told Entertainment Weekly and on his own social feeds that Safdie approached him looking for a villain: "He's the richest man in America in 1952, and we're looking for a real [expletive] — you're it."
Marty Supreme Becomes Breakout Hit For A24
The gamble appears to be paying off. "Marty Supreme" has become A24's highest-grossing domestic release, as per a Variety report on Sunday, surpassing "Everything Everywhere All at Once" and drawing a wave of awards attention for its cast and for Safdie.
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