Kevin O’Leary praises Timothée Chalamet for staying grounded

Kevin O’Leary has opened up about how his Marty Supreme co-star Timothée Chalamet is handling fame, describing the actor as “very well-grounded.”

O’Leary, 71, spoke exclusively to PEOPLE at the annual BAFTA Tea held at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills, California. Chalamet, 30, who has already won both a Critics' Choice Award and a Golden Globe for his performance in the film, has impressed O’Leary with his focus and humility.

“He's very well-grounded. He's a very normal guy,” O’Leary said. “I've met his mother. I hung out with her in New York. We had a great time. He is focused on work and he doesn't screw around until he's got it nailed down.

"I think that's a good attribute. He hasn't let any of the stardom stuff affect him at all. He's the same guy I met at the beginning. Eight months later, he's the same guy.”

O’Leary also spoke about Chalamet’s method approach to portraying Marty Mauser, the determined and scrappy ping pong player striving for success in the film.

“I certainly saw what a method actor is like. That's not how I work, but that's how he works. And I think he was fantastic,” he said.

“He's a big watch guy. So am I. We have a lot of fun with watches … we talk about watches all the time,” he said, adding that he might even gift Chalamet a timepiece if the actor wins an Oscar this year.

O’Leary also reflected on how acting in a feature film differed from his long reality TV career.

“It's a new experience versus television. I've been doing Shark Tank for 17 years. This is a different game,” he said. “I'm loving it. It's different. It's a unique experience. I'm enjoying it a lot … And I think the difference between this and reality TV is the story.

"This is a story that is so hard to put down when you're reading the script. It translated beautifully into this amazing film. And I predict, I think very good things are going to come from this. It was a wonderful experience shooting it.”

Chalamet even referenced O’Leary during his Golden Globes acceptance speech.

"If you would have told me when I was 19 years old I’d be thanking Mr. Wonderful from Shark Tank," Chalamet quipped. "Alright, you’re laughing, so I got away with that. Thank you, Kevin."

In the film, O’Leary — who had never acted before being cast in the Josh Safdie-directed project — plays Milton Rockwell, a successful New York businessman who develops a complicated relationship with the young Marty.

Audiences and critics have lauded O’Leary for his first film role, and he has expressed interest in taking on additional movie projects.

“I want to be a bad guy and blow stuff up,” he said. "I've sort of made it known and I've said it to a few people.”

“I got to be the bad guy in [James] Bond. There's no question. They're not bad enough. I'll do a better job,” he added.