George Gervin has spent a lifetime making difficult things look effortless, so perhaps no one should be surprised that his film debut came just as smoothly. In 'Marty Supreme,' the December 2025 table-tennis drama starring Oscar nominee Timothée Chalamet, Gervin plays Lawrence, the steady owner of the Manhattan ping-pong parlor where the young hustler hones his game.
The character is drawn from Herwald Lawrence, the real-life proprietor of the club where table-tennis legend Marty Reisman sharpened his skills - a fitting role for a man who has spent his own second act building places where young people can grow.
Gervin shot all of his scenes in one day, and came away impressed with his co-star. 'He's a hardworking young man,' Gervin said of Chalamet. 'I was so impressed with his work habits. He wants to be one of the best.'
Game recognizes game, in other words. The role adds one more line to a resume that keeps expanding long after the playing days ended - author, educator, broadcaster, ambassador, and now actor.
It also confirms what audiences at his speaking events already know: put the Iceman in front of a camera or a crowd, and he delivers.