‘The Odyssey’ Star Matt Damon Talks Extreme Transformation for Christopher Nolan’s Fantasy Epic

by

Matt Damon worked with director Christopher Nolan for the third time in a challenging role: Odysseus, the king of Ithaca, in a film adaptation of The Odyssey. The movie follows the epic journey of the bearded hero as he battles storms and fantastical creatures while trying to return home after the Trojan War. To convincingly portray this iconic character from Homer’s poem, Damon underwent a significant physical transformation, presenting a look his audience hadn’t seen before.

Appearing on the New Heights podcast with brothers Travis and Jason Kelce, the 55-year-old actor shared how dramatically he had to transform his body to star in Christopher Nolan’s fantasy action film, and he explained it all to Jason.

I grew a beard similar to this one for about a year, and I got myself into great shape. I lost a significant amount of weight – Nolan wanted me to be lean and strong for the role. I also stopped eating gluten due to a health decision I made with my doctor. I normally weigh between 185 and 200 pounds, but I got down to 167 for that movie, which is the lightest I’ve been since high school. It took a lot of hard work and a very disciplined diet to achieve that.

From February to August last year, Nolan and his team filmed in stunning locations around the world to capture the emotional journey of Odysseus. They shot scenes in Morocco, Iceland, Scotland, Greece, Italy, and Malta. Actor Matt Damon remembered being amazed by each location, saying, “It was clear why Nolan wanted to film there – the places were incredible!” He also praised Nolan’s dedicated and skilled crew, noting that everyone worked incredibly hard and they even finished filming ahead of schedule, making it a fantastic experience.

Agamemnon Actor’s Watery Regret During ‘The Odyssey’ Shoot


Universal Pictures

While filming in Morocco, actor Benny Safdie (who plays Agamemnon in the movie) recently shared a story about a mistake he made. On a day off, he explored some local areas and unfortunately drank unsafe water, as reported by Project Big Screen.

I was traveling in Morocco and really wanted to explore. On my day off, I hired a local guide to show me around. I tried the local food and drinks, and I remember asking Chris about the water. He warned me not to drink it, which immediately made me worried. I realized I’d probably get sick. Sure enough, I ended up at the doctor’s office, and they discovered something was definitely wrong with my stomach after listening with a stethoscope.

The film boasts a stellar cast including Anne Hathaway as Penelope, Tom Holland as Telemachus, and Charlize Theron as Circe. Robert Pattinson plays Antinous, with Jon Bernthal as Menelaus, Himesh Patel as Eurylochus, Mia Goth as Melantho, Zendaya as Athena, and John Leguizamo as Eumaeus. James Remar, Lupita Nyong’o, Elliot Page, Samantha Morton, and Logan Marshall-Green also appear in supporting roles.

Read More

2026-01-08 14:54