Hollywood actor Matt Damon has revealed that the first person he spoke to after landing the lead role in Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” was not his wife, but long-time friend and actor Ben Affleck.
During an appearance on 100 Questions with Tom Simons alongside co-star Tom Holland, Damon recalled trying to share the news first with his wife, Luciana Damon, but said she was unable to answer his call.
“So I immediately called my wife,” Damon said, adding that Luciana was in a Zoom meeting and could not pick up.
Damon then turned to his long-time friend. “I called Ben Affleck,” he said.
When asked how Affleck reacted, Damon replied, “Oh, he freaked out. I was on the phone with him for about a half an hour.”
The actor said he later received a text message from his wife asking, “Why didn’t you tell me first?” Damon explained that Affleck and Luciana happened to be in the same building, and Affleck had rushed into her office to share the news before Damon could speak to her.
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Tom Holland, who portrays Odysseus’ son Telemachus in the film, also shared who he informed first after joining the project.
“I was just through the roof with excitement,” Holland said. “She was the first person I told,” referring to his wife and co-star Zendaya.
Holland said he wanted to tell Zendaya because Christopher Nolan is one of her favourite directors and she greatly admires his 2014 sci-fi epic “Interstellar”.
“The Odyssey”, directed by Christopher Nolan, is an adaptation of Homer’s epic poem. Damon stars as Odysseus, while Zendaya plays Athena. The film also features Anne Hathaway as Penelope, Robert Pattinson as Antinous, Elliot Page as Sinon, Lupita Nyong’o as Clytemnestra, Benny Safdie as Agamemnon, Mia Goth as Melantho and John Leguizamo as Eumaeus.
The film follows Odysseus’ perilous journey home to Ithaca after the Trojan War, where he encounters mythical beings including the Cyclops Polyphemus, the Sirens and Calypso.
“The Odyssey” is currently playing in theatres.