Matt Damon shares how Christopher Nolan’s 'The Odyssey' pushed the cast to their limits

Matt Damon has opened up about the intense physical challenges of filming The Odyssey, describing the ambitious production as one of the most demanding experiences of his career.

The actor, who stars as Odysseus in Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of Homer’s ancient epic, told People that the globe-spanning shoot felt less like making a movie and more like going on an adventure.

“It really felt more like an expedition than a movie,” Damon said, reflecting on filming across Greece, Morocco, Iceland, Scotland and Italy. 

He added that seeing Nolan endure the same harsh conditions as the cast helped keep everyone motivated.

“If you were cold and wet, you just turned and you looked and Chris was just as cold and just as wet and going through it,” he shared.

Even as production moved toward its final stage, Damon said the challenges did not become easier. 

The cast eventually filmed scenes in a massive water tank at Universal Studios in Los Angeles, but the controlled environment still pushed them to their limits.

“We knew we were ending at the water tank in Universal. And nobody said, ‘Well, it’ll probably be easier once we get to it,’” Damon recalled.

Instead, the crew used powerful equipment to recreate extreme water conditions, including jet engines similar to those found on a 737 aircraft blowing water onto the actors.

“It was definitely about as hard as you can make water work in a controlled environment,” Damon said.

The actor joked that the final days of filming became almost absurdly intense, particularly during scenes involving a raft. For close-up shots that were too dangerous to film in open water, Damon said Nolan personally helped create the harsh conditions.

“We were laughing at the end because we were shooting some close-up raft stuff,” Damon explained. “Chris pouring water over my face while I was lying there and I was like, ‘This is perfect. We’re ending this with water boarding.’”

After enduring scenes involving mythical creatures, a giant Trojan Horse and extreme environments, Damon admitted the experience helped him overcome some fears, including claustrophobia.

“I worked through a lot of them on this one, definitely,” he said. “Claustrophobia was one, but I hope I’m on the other side of that one now.”

Despite the physical demands, Damon said creating The Odyssey became an unforgettable experience because of the dedication shared by the entire cast and crew.

“You could not look in any direction and not see somebody just giving everything they had for this kind of common project,” he said.

The actor described the weekly challenges as something that brought everyone together, with the cast and crew celebrating each milestone after completing another difficult stretch of filming.

Nolan also praised the commitment of the film’s ensemble cast, which includes Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Zendaya and Charlize Theron, saying the actors “rose to it magnificently.”

Damon said the demanding production ultimately became one of the most rewarding experiences of his career.

“I had such a feeling of gratitude,” he said. “It was the best experience I’ve ever had because everybody on the set was experienced enough to know that the movie required everybody to be completely maxing out and straining against what they thought was possible.”

The Odyssey arrives in theaters on July 17.