Christopher Nolan went all out when he put together the star-studded cast of The Odyssey. Stars like Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Samantha Morton, and more gave outstanding performances playing these iconic characters from Homer's epic. However, it’s also important to recognize unsung performers like Damon’s stunt double, Devyn Dalton, who explained why she was picked to do the job for an important scene.
Matt Damon is a real trooper for still doing film stunts in his 50s. However, he can't do everything. For example, when it came to filming the Laestrygonians scene for The Odyssey, it required the 5’10" actor to look small against a group of man-eating giants. That's where 4’6" Canadian stunt performer Devyn Dalton comes in. She stood in for the actor during these moments to make the scale of the scene really pop. Recalling what it was like to get this opportunity, she told BBC News (via TikTok):
I never thought that I would have stunt double for Matt Damon on my resume. I have stunt doubled children, like boys and girls. I’ve been creatures, I’ve been apes, I’ve been zombies. But this was my first time, you know, stunt doubling for a man, so I was very excited.
I can imagine that surge of female empowerment Dalton must have been feeling! It makes sense that someone of the stunt double’s short stature would stand in for kids and girls of similar height. But it’s clear it was never on the stuntwoman’s bingo card to double for a man like Matt Damon. If you can add that to your filmography, I would say that’s quite the compliment.
In Christopher Nolan’s 2026 movie release, Odysseus lands on an island where they fight off the violent Laestrygonians. With all of the stunts in The Odyssey being pretty real, the action-fantasy flick needed Matt Damon to look minuscule compared to his giant rivals. That's a big reason why Dalton was picked for the gig, as she explained:
Physique was a huge part of it. Obviously said, they needed someone who was smaller, but they needed someone who was smaller but also very fit. And I’ve spent years thinking my size was something that I’d have to overcome, but it turns out one of the reasons I’ve had all these opportunities given to me is because I embraced my size and I love it so much, and I wouldn’t change it for anything in the world.
Considering I’m 5’1", I completely sympathize with the insecurities short women face. But as Dalton said, being a smaller size has ways of working to your benefit. And if it can mean getting to double as Matt Damon, bonus!
Devyn Dalton also said she used to be ashamed of her muscles. But same as her height, she taught herself how to “lean into” them and appreciate them. Considering Dalton’s ripped arms are all we see of her on screen, her physicality helps contribute to the character of Odysseus and the continuity of the movie.
During an interview with the Los Angeles Times, the talented stuntwoman also talked about the importance of studying Odysseus’ emotions and motivations behind each physical movement. Then, when trying a stunt for the first time, she visualized every worst-case scenario so she was prepared for it.
After learning about why she was cast and all the work she put into the role, it makes me happy that stunts will finally be recognized at the Oscars in 2028. Stunt performers like Dalton deserve their props. It also makes me even happier that The Odyssey has been such a success, because it's shining a light on performers like her.
While it's not exactly normal for a very small woman to be the stunt double for someone like Matt Damon, it made perfect sense for this movie. Her short stature and blazing guns for arms helped pull off that epic Laestrygonians scene. Now, you can see Dalton’s muscles on the big screen by seeing The Odyssey in theaters.
