“The Odyssey” cast: Meet the star-studded ensemble of Christopher Nolan's highly anticipated journey to ancient Greece
“The Odyssey” cast: Meet the star-studded ensemble of Christopher Nolan's highly anticipated journey to ancient Greece
Brianna ZiglerFri, July 3, 2026 at 9:18 PM UTC
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Matt Damon as Odysseus, Zendaya as Athena, and Tom Holland as Telemachus in 'The Odyssey'Credit: universalKey Points -
Christopher Nolan's post-Oppenheimer return is an adaptation of Homer's epic poem The Odyssey.
The high-pedigree cast features Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, and many more.
The Odyssey hits theaters July 17.
Three years after Christopher Nolan broke box office records and took home Oscar gold with Oppenheimer, the king of IMAX finally comes home.
For his blank-check 13th film, the blockbuster auteur has chosen to adapt Homer's ancient Greek epic poem The Odyssey. The poem tells the story of Odysseus, king of Ithaca, and his fraught journey home following 10 years fighting in the Trojan War.
At CinemaCon in April, Nolan previewed his new film and talked about the process of making it, which he called "an absolute nightmare." However, he clarified that it was a nightmare "in all the right ways," adding, "We had an amazing time doing it."
Such an epic story is surely befitting of an epic cast, and The Odyssey features a mind-boggling lineup of some of the biggest stars in Hollywood. The jam-packed cast includes Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Zendaya, and more, with Matt Damon leading the charge as our hero, Odysseus.
Ahead, we break down the unwieldy cast of The Odyssey, where you've seen them before, and who they’ll be playing in the film.
01 of 15
Matt Damon as Odysseus
Matt Damon as Odysseus in 'The Odyssey'Credit: Melinda Sue Gordon/Universal Pictures
You know him and you love him — it's America’s Sweetheart, Matt Damon. Ben Affleck's best friend and platonic life partner played small parts for years before hitting his breakthrough alongside Affleck for their film Good Will Hunting (1997), which the pair co-wrote and costarred in.
Since then Damon has starred in major films like Saving Private Ryan (1998), Ocean's 11 (2001), The Bourne Identity (2002), and We Bought a Zoo (2011).
Damon has collaborated with Nolan twice before, on Oppenheimer (2023) and Interstellar (2014). After playing supporting parts in both movies, Damon takes on his first lead role for Nolan as Odysseus.
In a recent Time magazine profile of Nolan, Damon spoke about his role in the film and how "There aren't a lot of people in their mid-50s as protagonists in these epics. I looked at this like the last movie I'd ever do."
However, Damon is far from retiring — he just approached the movie as the unique opportunity that it was.
"Movies like this are not getting made anymore," he mused. "To do this without a green screen, the way that David Lean would have done it, I don't know anybody, with the exception of Chris, that's even trying to do that."
02 of 15
Tom Holland as Telemachus
Tom Holland as Telemachus in 'The Odyssey'Credit: Universal Pictures
Tom Holland shot to A-list status after being plucked from relative obscurity to play Peter Parker/Spider-Man in Captain American: Civil War (2016). That followed a momentous deal between Marvel and Sony to share the film rights for the character and fold him into the MCU.
In addition to his superhero work, Holland has starred in The Devil all the Time (2020) and Chaos Walking (2021). In The Odyssey, Holland plays Odysseus's son and the prince of Ithaca, Telemachus, who is in search of his missing father.
Speaking about the experience of working on his first Nolan film, Holland said he was so impressed by the director's process that he began pressuring his Spider-Man producers to do better.
"I was really able to lay down the law and say, 'We are not going to come to set and figure it out,'" Holland told GQ in a feature from earlier this month about the making of The Odyssey.
"'We why we are making this movie beyond the fact that it's Spider-Man 4 and they make loads of money and we're going to just have a big summer,'" he continued. "'Why are we making this movie?'"
03 of 15
Anne Hathaway as Penelope
Anne Hathaway as Penelope in 'The Odyssey'Credit: Universal Pictures
Anne Hathaway became a pop culture princess after starring in 2000s comedies like The Devil Wears Prada (2006), The Princess Diaries (2001), and Ella Enchanted (2004). But she moved on to more mature fare in the late 2000s and 2010s, like Rachel Getting Married (2008), Les Misérables (2012), and Dark Waters (2019).
She also dabbled in prestige TV with the 2022 miniseries WeCrashed, about the downfall of the co-working-space company WeWork.
The Odyssey reunites Hathaway and Nolan after they worked together on The Dark Knight Rises(2012) and Interstellar. The Armageddon Time actress will play Penelope, Odysseus' wife and Telemachus' mother, who must contend with a number of suitors while her husband is gone.
Hathaway talked about the character in the same Time magazine feature on the making of the film, and she admitted how impressed she was with the way that Nolan had characterized Penelope.
"There's this impression of Penelope that she’' kind of the picture of modesty. She's the picture of patience," Hathaway said. "And I said, 'Chris, if I'm not mistaken, you've written someone who is full of fury and you seem to be implying that she's actually Odysseus' equal.' I found her to be this volcano of a human that was always simmering. It was really fun when she finally exploded."
04 of 15
Robert Pattinson as Antinous
Robert Pattinson as Antinous in 'The Odyssey'Credit: Melinda Sue Gordon/Universal Pictures
R-Patz quietly appeared as Cedric Digory in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005), but his life was forever changed when he took on the role of Edward Cullen in the Twilight movies.
Since graduating from the YA fantasy series, Pattinson has become one of our most interesting actors, straddling the space between indie and mainstream filmmaking. The English star went crazy with Willem Dafoe in The Lighthouse (2019), had a baby in outer space in High Life (2018), ran from the law in Good Time (2017), and even played the Dark Knight in The Batman (2022).
While Pattinson was not Nolan's own Dark Knight, he did act for the director in 2020's Tenet. The Odyssey marks their second collaboration, in which Pattinson will be playing Antinous, one of Penelope's many suitors.
Pattison has likened the character to a surprising inspiration: the shady hustler Lester Diamond in Martin Scorsese's gangster classic Casino.
"My character's a little like James Woods in Casino," the Die My Love star explained to GQ. "That was my inspiration for it. I thought it'd be quite nice to see it in Ithaca. And he's like a little sleazy. I kept saying at my costume fitting, I was like, 'I really want to have leopard underpants.' I want to have it just coming out of my skirt, a little sparkly fur."
05 of 15
Lupita Nyong’o as Helen of Troy and Clytemnestra
Lupita Nyong'o attends the The Wild Robot Photocall at the 72nd San Sebastian Film Festival on September 22, 2024Credit: JB Lacroix/WireImage
Lupita Nyong'o broke out through her blistering performance in Steve McQueen's 12 Years a Slave, which earned the actress her first Academy Award with only her second feature film credit.
Since then she's lent her talents to movies like Black Panther (2018), Us (2019), A Quiet Place: Day One (2024), The Wild Robot (2024), and three Star Wars sequel films. She's also done voice work on TV shows like Big Mouth and Human Resources.
Nyong'o joins The Odyssey in a dual role, as Helen of Troy and Helen's sister, Clytemnestra. Helen is the wife of Menelaus and considered to be the most beautiful woman in the world, and her abduction is what kicks off the Trojan War. Meanwhile, Clytemnestra is in an unpleasant marriage to Agamemnon.
In an interview with Elle UK, Nyong'o admitted that she wasn't familiar with the film's source material.
"I really had no idea what The Odyssey was," she admitted. "I was like, 'Oh, snap, I don't know the first thing about this.' So it was a crash course. I picked up the books and read them immediately. I have this film to thank for my Greek-mythological education."
However, she didn't actually "pick up" the books — she listened to The Odyssey and The Iliad as audiobooks, narrated by Audra McDonald, and had a great time doing it.
"It is the best audiobook I have ever listened to," Nyong'o said.
06 of 15
Zendaya as Athena
Matt Damon as Odysseus and Zendaya as Athena in 'The Odyssey'Credit: Melinda Sue Gordon/Universal Studios
New Hollywood it girl Zendaya began her career as a child actor on Disney Channel shows like Shake It Up and Good Luck Charlie in the early 2010s.
Though she became famous as a familiar face on children's TV, by 2019 she transitioned to what would be her "I Can't Be Tamed" Miley Cyrus moment by playing Rue on Euphoria. The role would eventually earn her two Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe.
In her adult era, Zendaya has appeared in mainstream and indies alike — from her acclaimed turn as the Fremen Chani in the Dune saga and playing MJ alongside her boyfriend in the MCU's Spider-Man series to one member of a tennis-playing love triangle in Challengers (2024) and a wife-to-be with a damning secret in this year's The Drama.
Zendaya joins The Odyssey in the role of Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom, warfare, and handicraft, who serves as a guardian over Odysseus on his journey.
Speaking with Elle earlier this year, Zendaya expressed a kinship with her character, due to the fact that people in her life and career have often regarded her as "an old soul." She added, "In many ways, it feels very fitting that that would be the pairing for me."
07 of 15
Charlize Theron as Calypso
Charlize Theron arrives 'Prelude To The Olympics' at Fondation Louis Vuitton on July 25, 2024 in Paris, FranceCredit: Arnold Jerocki/Getty
Charlize Theron has graced the silver screen since 1995, starting her career in an uncredited role in a direct-to-video Children of the Corn sequel. But by 1997, she had already come to further prominence as the leading lady in The Devil's Advocate opposite Keanu Reeves, as well as appearing in Mighty Joe Young (1998) and Cider House Rules (1999)
The performance that put her on the map was playing serial killer Aileen Wuornos in the 2003 biographical drama Monster, for which she took home the Academy Award for Best Actress. Since then Theron has maintained her place among the A-list by starring in movies like Mad Max: Fury Road (2015), Prometheus (2012), Atomic Blonde (2017), and Long Shot (2019).
Theron will be taking on the role of Calypso, a nymph who tries to keep Odysseus from going home so that he can remain as her immortal husband forever.
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In an interview with US Screen Digest, Theron admitted that her role is very small, but she had a great time filming it.
"I was literally on that movie for, like, four breaths, it was so quick," the Apex actress said. "But they were amazing breaths."
08 of 15
Benny Safdie as Agamemnon
Benny Safdie as Agamemnon in 'The Odyssey'Credit: Universal Pictures
Benny Safdie began his career as a director alongside his brother, Josh, helming distinct and anxiety-fueled indies like Good Time, Heaven Knows What (2014), and Daddy Longlegs (2009).
The directing duo received awards buzz for 2019's Uncut Gems, after which the pair broke off. Benny went on to pursue acting — in movies like The Curse (2023), Happy Gilmore 2 (2025), and Licorice Pizza (2021) — in addition to directing The Smashing Machine (2025).
Safdie appeared in Oppenheimer as the father of the hydrogen bomb, Edward Teller, and he reteams with Nolan as the Greek king of Mycenae and Clytemnestra's husband, Agamemnon. In the Trojan War, Agamemnon was commander of the Greek forces.
In a 2025 interview for Time, Safdie revealed that he was working on The Smashing Machine when Nolan contacted him with some tips for his role in The Odyssey.
"I was in the middle of editing when Chris called me and was like, 'How's your body?'" he said. "And I was like, 'What do you mean? Like, how's it holding up in the edit?' And he says, 'No, I want you to be in this and you have to be in better shape.'"
09 of 15
Jon Bernthal as Menelaus
Jon Bernthal attends the 3rd Annual Academy Museum Gala at Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on December 03, 2023 in Los Angeles, CaliforniaCredit: Kevin Winter/WireImage
Jon Bernthal has become a recognizable character actor across film and television, first achieving recognition for his portrayal of Shane Walsh on The Walking Dead. He became more of a name after playing Frank Castle, a.k.a. the Punisher, on Netflix's Marvel series Daredevil and The Punisher.
Bernthal has worked with directors like Martin Scorsese (The Wolf of Wall Street), Denis Villeneuve (Sicario), and Lena Dunham (Sharp Stick), and has had a healthy career on the stage as well. He recently starred opposite his The Bear costar Ebon Moss-Bachrach in the Broadway adaptation of Dog Day Afternoon.
For his first Nolan film, Bernthal plays Menelaus, husband to Helen of Troy, brother to Agamemnon, and the Greek king of Sparta. In a discussion for Esquire in May, Bernthal praised Nolan's "inhuman" work ethic.
"There's no one working as hard as him," he said. "It is almost inhuman, his appetite and hunger to work and to drive forward. He is the quintessential perfect leader. You would follow him anywhere."
10 of 15
John Leguizamo as Eumaeus
John Leguizamo as Eumaeus in 'The Odyssey'Credit: Universal
You might have grown up recognizing John Leguizamo's voice from the Ice Age movies, but the actor is far more than Sid the Sloth.
Though he started as a stand-up comic over 40 years ago, Leguizamo has since appeared in more than 100 movies, in addition to numerous television roles and Broadway performances. Just a few of the titles in his filmography include John Wick (2014), Carlito's Way (1993), Moulin Rouge (2001), and Summer of Sam (1999).
He has also produced films and written for the stage. His one-man-show Freak earned him two Tony nominations, and he received a Special Tony Award in 2018.
Leguizamo plays Odysseus' devoted servant and swineherd Eumaeus. In a conversation last year with PEOPLE, the Romeo + Juliet actor raved about his first experience working with Nolan.
"It was like being with a visionary — like what I imagine it must have been like to work with Stanley Kubrick," he said. "Somebody creating worlds, and who thinks in a different way than the rest of us."
11 of 15
Samantha Morton as Circe
Samantha Morton poses during the Champagne Taittinger reception at the EE BAFTA Film Awards 2024 at The Royal Festival Hall on February 18, 2024 in London, EnglandCredit: Carlo Paloni/BAFTA via Getty
English actress Samantha Morton has worked for many years in independent films, though she's appeared in blockbusters like Minority Report (2002) and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016) as well.
However, her bread and butter is dark period dramas like Libertine (2004) and the TV adaptation of Jane Eyre (1997). She's received nominations from the Academy Awards, the Golden Globes, and the Emmys, taking home the Globe for Best Supporting Actress — Series, Miniseries or Television Film for her performance in Longford (2006).
Morton plays the witch goddess Circe in The Odyssey, and she enjoyed her experience working with Nolan.
"The auteurs all have something extraordinary about them," she told The Times in December. "Otherwise they wouldn't be where they are. But it's through working with a lot of appalling directors that you really appreciate the great ones. And there are some absolutely great ones, and I've been fortunate enough to work with some of the greats."
12 of 15
Mia Goth as Melantho
Mia Goth attends the Miu Miu Womenswear S/S 2024 show as part of Paris Fashion Week at Palais d'Iena on October 03, 2023 in Paris, FranceCredit: Arnold Jerocki/Getty Images for Miu Miu
Mia Goth is set to play Melantho, a maidservant of Odysseus and Penelope who reveals herself to be disloyal. The English actress made a splash with her bold debut in Lars Von Trier's erotic drama Nymphomaniac (2013).
Goth started in arthouse cinema and has has continued to work in that realm. She impressively led Ti West’s horror trilogy X playing multiple roles and has also collaborated with Claire Denis (High Life), Luca Guadagnino (Suspiria), Brandon Cronenberg (Infinity Pool), and Guillermo del Toro (Frankenstein).
Goth has called working on The Odyssey "one of the greatest experiences of my life," in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.
"It really was. It was profound," she continued. "I've been such a fan of [Nolan's" work for years. And so to have that opportunity and to witness him and how he directs was incredible. I took a lot from that. The trust that he has in actors was enlightening."
13 of 15
Himesh Patel as Eurylochus
Matt Damon as Odysseus and Himesh Patel as Eurylochus in 'The Odyssey'Credit: Melinda Sue Gordon/Universal Pictures
Himesh Patel first gained prominence as many English actors do: as a regular on the BBC soap opera EastEnders. He graduated from the series to Channel 4's Damned and HBO's Station Eleven, the latter of which earned him an Emmy nomination.
Patel made his feature film debut starring in Danny Boyle's Yesterday (2019), and he can also be seen in Don't Look Up (2021), Enola Holmes 2 (2022) and the upcoming Enola Holmes 3, and The Assessment (2024). Patel has collaborated with Nolan once before, playeding Mahir in Tenet.
Patel will be playing Odysseus' brother-in-law and second-in-command, Eurylochus, and he doesn't take for granted the fact that Nolan liked him enough to keep working with him.
"He has a sort of in-house mentality with the people he works with," Patel told The Hollywood Reporter in June. "I had a lot of fun on Tenet and got on really well with him, and I think that has a lot to do with it. He certainly doesn't need to ask anyone back."
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14 of 15
Travis Scott as a bard
Travis Scott attends the Hermès Menswear Fall/Winter 2026-2027 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on January 24, 2026 in Paris, FranceCredit: Marc Piasecki/WireImage
Nolan cast Travis Scott in the role of a bard because of the parallels between the rapper's primary profession and the nature of The Odyssey itself.
"I cast him because I wanted to nod towards the idea that this story has been handed down as oral poetry, which is analogous to rap," Nolan told Time.
Scott hasn't spoken about his role in the film directly, but he told Rolling Stonein January that he has wide creative interests. That would seem to include dabbling in acting.
"I'm just into all things creative," the "Sicko Mode" rapper explained. "I might not be the best in everything. That's how I can respect working with other people in certain fields that I'm not so good in."
In his music career, Scott has had five songs take the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 and more than 100 songs that have charted. Along with five Grammy nominations, he's taken home honors from the Latin Grammys, Billboard Music Awards, MTV Video Music Awards, and BET Hip Hop Awards.
Scott also had a highly publicized relationship with Kylie Jenner, with whom he shares two children.
15 of 15
Elliot Page as Sinon
Elliot Page as Sinon in 'The Odyssey'Credit: Universal
Elliot Page reunites with Nolan more than 15 years after appearing in Inception, joining the cast of The Odyssey as Sinon. Sinon is Odysseus' cousin and a Greek soldier who fought alongside him in the Trojan War.
Page became the fourth-youngest nominee for the Academy Award for Best Actress at the time when he was nominated for his performance in the coming-of-age comedy Juno (2007). Page gained fame during the late 2000s and 2010s, starring in Hard Candy (2005), Whip It (2009), Flatliners (2017), and two X-Men movies.
Since coming out as a transgender man in 2020, Page has become a bit more low-key, aside from TV work on The Umbrella Academy and Tales of the City. He also wrote and starred in the 2023 indie drama Close to You. The Odyssey marks Page’s return to mainstream film and his first major movie role as a trans man.
For Page, getting to reunite with Nolan was very meaningful.
"To come back now, as you can imagine, being more just comfortable in yourself makes these sorts of projects more enjoyable," Page said at a New York Comic-Con panel in October. "To get to have a Chris Nolan experience again now — that actually, really just meant so much to me.”
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