Matt Damon recalls surprising first call after landing The Odyssey
The Oscar winner admitted Ben Affleck was the first person to hear about his 'The Odyssey' role
Matt Damon has revealed that Ben Affleck was the first person he told after landing a starring role in Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey—even before his wife, Luciana Damon.
The Oscar-winning actor, who leads the epic fantasy film as Odysseus, admitted he was so excited by the casting news that he immediately called his longtime friend and collaborator after his wife was unable to answer his call.
Speaking during an appearance on 100 Questions With Tom Simons, Damon recalled: “I immediately called my wife who was on a Zoom, and so she couldn’t pick up and I called Ben Affleck.”
The actor said Affleck was thrilled by the news.
“He freaked out,” Damon said. “I was on the phone with him for about a half an hour... then I hung up with him and a minute later my wife texted, like, ‘Why didn’t you tell me first?’”
Damon later discovered that Affleck had rushed into Luciana's office to share the exciting news before he had the chance.
“Ben had run into her office to tell her,” he explained.
The Odyssey boasts an all-star cast that includes Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong'o, Zendaya, Charlize Theron and Samantha Morton under Nolan's direction.
The actor has previously spoken about his close relationship with the acclaimed filmmaker, revealing that he once negotiated a break from acting with his wife, with one exception.
Damon said the only condition of his planned hiatus was that he would return immediately if Nolan called.
That agreement was put to the test when the director unexpectedly offered him a role in the 2023 blockbuster Oppenheimer, prompting Damon to put his career break on hold.