Spider-Man star Tobey Maguire Rumoured To Be 'Player X' in Molly's Game

09:07
22 Nov

Molly’s Game, the popular 2017 biographical poker film that chronicles the life of high-stakes poker game host Molly Bloom, has a particular, anonymous character that captured the attention of the audience. Known in the film as Player X, it’s almost certain we know who the character is based on - Spider-Man star Tobey Maguire.

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The Story

The film follows the life of Molly Bloom, an injured Olympic skier who planned to move to Los Angeles for a year before going to law school. She meets Dean Keith, a real estate agent, and eventually finds herself running an underground poker game.

While the audience follows her ascendence in the underground poker world, it’s clear that a particular character is trying his best to sabotage the game. Player X is a high profile actor and regular at first Dean’s game and then Molly’s game.

Player X and Molly have a symbiotic relationship; Molly hosts the game and makes a generous amount of tips, while Player X is influential in bringing players to the game. The relationship grew rocky, and Player X eventually left her game, bringing with him the players he introduced to her game.

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Who Is He?

Although it’s never explicitly stated in the movie who Player X is,  a look at Molly Bloom’s memoir may reveal the player’s identity.

In her book, Molly mentions Maguire a ton, and describes the way he sabotaged her game and eventually took it over. The scene in the film where Maguire has the game moved to a different venue is based directly on an exchange between her and Maguire, according to her book.

“You’re so f***ed,” Maguire said to her. “Arthur wants to have the game at his house from now on.”

And, although Bloom mentions other celebrities in her book, she only relays the distasteful behavior of Maguire to her audience.

Although the actions of Player X in the film line up well with Bloom’s accounts of Maguire in her book, Aaron Sorkin, the writer and director of the film, said that Player X actually represents the wide array of different celebrities who played in Molly’s game.

Her memoir features anecdotes of heavy-hitting superstars such as Ben Affleck, Alex Rodriguez, The Olsen Twins and Leonardo DiCaprio.

According to Bloom, DiCaprio had a “strange style,” as if he was indifferent to the game. Apparently, the Olsen Twins were responsible for bringing a billionaire to the game, so Bloom allowed them access.

Although the film is riveting, Molly’s Game the book holds all the details and drama upon which the film was based, and poker fans will find more details about the household names who played in her game.