Working with Matt Damon is a dream for many actors. He has a reputation for being incredible to work with, and being a supportive presence even when he is number one on the call sheet. Damon also has a legacy of incredible films behind him like Good Will Hunting, The Martian, and Saving Private Ryan. Many actors have sung his praises, and Tom Holland recently revealed what was one of the best parts about working with the movie star in The Odyssey, and it's hilarious.
In a recent interview on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Holland couldn’t say enough great things about working with Damon, who plays Holland’s father in The Odyssey. Holland fawned about what a great role model the Oscar winner was, and how he was working harder than anyone on set, considering Odysseus is a huge part of the film, and a lot of physical work went into his scenes. However, one particular situation took Holland a bit out of it, as he suddenly realized he was watching “Jason Bourne” work. He told the talk show host:
I remember we were doing this fight scene…we’re in this quarry and the whole quarry was on fire[...] And I’ve rehearsed this fight scene for weeks and weeks and weeks and suddenly I get to watch Matt do it. And I’m like standing back with a really good friend of mine, the stunt coordinator, and I’m watching Matt do this fight scene and I sort of elbowed him and went ‘Oh my God, that’s Jason Bourne.’
This is an absolutely hilarious reaction to have, and it points out how much of a pro Damon is, considering he has done so many fight sequences in the past. Damon trained for years doing elaborate stunts for the Bourne films, so he already had a leg up on everyone when it came to practical stunt choreography, and getting in the kind of shape you need to get into to play a physically fit protagonist. Damon is in crazy shape in The Odyssey and the fight sequences all look like they come so naturally to him.
Damon may look very different in The Odyssey than he did in the Bourne films, but for Holland, it was like watching his favorite movie character come to life. Those Bourne films were huge movies with a legacy that lives on through an ardent fanbase, and considering Holland was such a fan, it must’ve been hard not to make the connection. Damon also apparently had a lot of fun with Holland’s love for those films too, as he revealed he once jokingly yelled “tell me everything you know about Treadstone” during filming, a reference all fans of that movie would remember.
While The Odyssey was anecdotally a difficult shoot, I love to hear this cast still was able to find the time to joke around and have levity. They all worked incredibly long hours and put in a lot of work, but the camaraderie was still there, as it often is on a Christopher Nolan set. Damon was a big part of it, and according to Holland, was the fearless leader they needed. I personally love this duo, and with a rumored fifth Bourne movie in the works, maybe there is an opportunity for Holland to join the beloved franchise in the future for a true, full circle moment.
You can see Tom Holland and Matt Damon together in The Odyssey, which is currently playing in theaters nationwide. You can also check out Holland in one of the most exciting films on the 2026 movie release schedule, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which is in cinemas now.
