When it comes to making a Christopher Nolan movie, a lot is expected of an actor. In some cases, that can include withstanding some gnarly weather, as the Dunkirk cast can attest to. Nolan’s upcoming film, The Odyssey, was no exception. He put his lead actor, Matt Damon, through the ringer, with the Jason Bourne actor losing almost 20 pounds. Now, Damon is opening up about his experience, and why, despite the shoot being incredibly difficult, it was still one of his favorite experiences on a movie.
What Were The Conditions Like While Filming The Odyssey?
Damon recently appeared on Netflix’s Still Watching Podcast and opened up about his latest film with Ben Affleck, The Rip, as well as his continued love for his hometown of Boston, Massachusetts. He also talked about what it was like making The Odyssey, which is one of the most exciting titles on the 2026 release schedule. Damon revealed that the shoot was incredibly difficult and that had he been hired for a movie like that earlier in his career, he would probably wouldn't have been able to do it. He explained:
Doing The Odyssey this last year, it felt like my one chance in my life to make a David Lean movie, you know, that I was making the last big movie on film that I was ever gonna get to make. And it’s so funny to think that it really is in how you look at it. Yeah, I was wet, and I was cold and I was hungry. All of that happened.
A lot of the discomfort was due to the scenes they had to shoot. Based on the Greek epic, Nolan's film sees Damon’s character, Odysseus, go through a life-threatening journey as he attempts to get back home to his family after the Trojan War. Like his character, Damon himself also had to face the elements and, as a result, the Martian star had to trudge through some less-than-ideal situations:
I do think that this last experience of The Odyssey — I’m still kind of unpacking it, but it did have a profound effect on me. Because, if I look objectively at what was required to do that job — I think it came at just the right time in my life. I think I would’ve been miserable 20 years ago trying to do that job, you know? Like, I didn’t — ‘Cause you were uncomfortable every day.
Needless to say, Matt Damon didn’t have to act like he was cold and miserable. Christopher Nolan's latest movie was made with touches of realism, which had The Odyssey cast actually soaking in (no pun intended) their environment. Based on what we’ve already seen from the epic trailer for the Nolan film, Damon battled relentless winds and crashing waves during extended shoots at sea. The whole production pushed Damon to the limit, and, thankfully, he was an experienced enough actor at this point in his career to commit himself to this film.
Matt Damon Shares The Benefits Of The Struggle
Despite Odyssey being an undertaking, physically and mentally for Damon, the Oscar winner told Netflix that he actually enjoyed the experience. He felt grateful to be able to work with a director like Christopher Nolan, and to be able to be part of such a project of this scale that allowed him to push himself in the way that he did. Damon explained:
But I really enjoyed, like deeply enjoyed every minute of it. And it really had that — It’s like, intellectually, I understood that concept of you’re not in control of what happens, but you are in control of how you feel about it. It’s kind of easier said than done. But to really feel gratitude, and I think because it was tied into not only the joy in being able to have a role that great, a director that great, with a group of people that great and a story that great. But in that sense of nostalgia I had for how I started, how I came into the business.
This kind of practical filmmaking with the level of artistic merit that Nolan has as a filmmaker is an actor's dream. Damon previously worked with Nolan on Interstellar and Oppenheimer, but this is the first time he is front and center where he can really shine. It gave him the ability to test his limits and showcase what a talent he truly is. Damon explained that a Navy SEAL that he worked with on set put things in perspective for him in a way that really resonated. He said:
There was a guy who works with Chris on a lot of his movies, he was a Navy SEAL named Duffy. And Duffy said to me towards the end of the film…. He goes, ‘You never remember how cold you were. You never remember.’ That’s not the memory that you have, you know? That’s a fleeting feeling, and it’s gonna pass. And you’re gonna be warm again, you’re just not warm now. So get comfortable in the discomfort. Just see it for what it is. It’s not forever.
Damon’s reflections on The Odyssey read less like a war story about survival on set and more like an opportunity to test himself as a performer.. The physical hardship, the weight loss and the constant discomfort was very real, and not manufactured for the film. Ultimately, it gave Damon a deeper appreciation for the craft. Based on what the Good Will Hunting actor has to say about The Odyssey, this might just be Nolan’s biggest and most ambitious film yet, and I personally can’t wait to see it on the big screen.
You can see Matt Damon's Odysseus face major dangers in The Odyssey when it hits theaters on July 17, 2026.
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