Matt Damon has revealed that some of the standout action imagery—and even part of the imposing physique seen on screen—in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey came courtesy of his female stunt double.
During an appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast while discussing the large-scale adaptation of Homer’s tale, the 55-year-old actor spoke candidly about the intense physical preparation required to step into the role of Odysseus.
Damon had already shared that he dropped to 167 pounds for the film, but he said one particularly memorable visual detail audiences noticed was not entirely his own.
He explained that Nolan’s team relied on practical forced-perspective techniques to create the looming presence of the Laestrygonians, the giant cannibals from Greek mythology. To sell the effect, very tall stunt performers were used in certain setups, while smaller doubles helped make Odysseus appear diminished beside them. In those shots, Damon said the production turned to a woman to double for him.
“When we did the forced perspective stuff of the Laestrygonians, there were these stuntmen who were all seven feet. And then they got stuntmen who were under five feet,” Damon recalled.
“My double was a woman, a female stunt performer—who had the greatest arms I’ve ever seen.”
With a laugh, Damon said Devyn Dalton’s build made his own gym efforts seem modest by comparison. He added that he made sure to thank her directly for the work she put in and for how much it enhanced Odysseus’ appearance in those scenes.
“I thanked her for all the work she put in,” Damon laughed. “So it was almost 100% my arms in the movie. You gotta give it up where it’s due!”
The actor’s comments arrived as The Odyssey rolled out as one of the year’s biggest theatrical events, with Universal releasing the film in IMAX and premium large-format theaters after an extensive, globe-spanning production. The movie was shot across multiple countries, including Greece, Italy, Morocco, Iceland and Scotland, with Nolan leaning heavily on practical locations and large-scale location work.
That approach fits the director’s broader philosophy for the project. Nolan has described the film as a big-screen adventure meant to feel physical and immediate, and the production has been widely noted for its reliance on real sets, real weather and real terrain rather than heavy digital effects.
Damon was far from the only member of the cast who underwent a demanding transformation for the film.
Tom Holland, who takes on the role of Telemachus, trained extensively to build a stronger, more rugged look than audiences are used to seeing from his Spider-Man performances.
Drawing on his background in gymnastics, Holland reportedly paired agility work with heavy resistance sessions to add muscle and sharpen definition on his 5’8″ frame. The goal was to be ready for the practical, physically taxing style Nolan is known for.
Members of the stunt team even described Holland as being so fit that he could handle virtually anything thrown at him, particularly during difficult outdoor shoots in Greece, Italy, and Morocco alongside Damon.
Anne Hathaway, cast as Penelope, prepared in a different but equally intense way, focusing on functional movement and endurance so she could cope with the punishing conditions of filming.
Because production took place on location and exposed the cast to severe weather and constantly shifting conditions at sea, the ensemble had to train more like a field team than a conventional group of actors.
In other press appearances, Damon said the experience involved substantial “physical discomfort” for everyone involved. He also noted that the cast was frequently running on only around five hours of sleep a night while trying to meet Nolan’s grounded, CGI-light approach.
Even with the harsh elements and exhausting schedule, Damon said the rest of the cast rose to the challenge, while also making clear that the stunt performers deserved enormous credit for helping bring the mythic story to the screen.