Christopher Nolan: Matt Damon ‘immediately popped into my head’ for The Odyssey

By Carla Feric, Press Association Entertainment Reporter

Christopher Nolan said Hollywood star Matt Damon “immediately popped into my head” when casting Odysseus in The Odyssey.

The upcoming blockbuster is an adaptation of Homer’s ancient Greek epic, and sees Damon star as Odysseus, the Greek king of Ithaca, as he makes his perilous 10-year journey home after the Trojan War.

The Odyssey was written, directed and co-produced by Oscar-winning filmmaker Nolan, who has said Damon was chosen for the lead role as he was “exactly what I needed”.

Speaking to comedian and actress Amy Poehler on her Good Hang podcast, he said: “I actually don’t think about actors when I’m writing – I try not to.

“I try to just live through the characters and the writing process, then come out the other side and go, ‘Okay, how is this going to work? Who are we getting for this?’

“Matt really immediately popped into my head, because you’re looking for this empathetic ability to draw the audience into a character’s dilemma.

“He has that openness, he brings the audience with him. But he also can project an iconic, frankly, superhero presence.”

The 55-year-old reflected on Damon’s performances in films such as Good Will Hunting (1997), The Martian (2015) and the action-packed Jason Bourne franchise.

He said: “To be able to do such desperate things and sort of fuse them into a character was exactly what I needed.

“I needed a partner. I needed somebody who would lead from the front and just dive in and do all of this crazy stuff without complaining about it,” he added, referring to the gruelling filmmaking process which required climbing mountains and boat trips.

Award-winning actor Damon has previously discussed the challenges behind making The Odyssey, and later told host Poehler about the “physical discomfort” behind-the-scenes and called it “the hardest film I’ve ever done”.

Nolan, who is widely hailed as one of the most respected and influential directors in Hollywood, has previously worked with Damon on 2014 space film Interstellar and 2023’s Oppenheimer.

The acclaimed filmmaker also praised Damon for being in “such a wonderful place in his life and career” and said he was “fun” to work with, adding: “He really appreciates what he gets to do.

“He understands how good he is at it I think – in a really comfortable way and in a really great way, and just leads from the front.

“He gets everybody inspired with him. I think without that, we would have crashed and burned horribly.”