Tom Holland on ‘The Odyssey’: ‘The job of a lifetime, without a doubt’

Tom Holland has described his role in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey as marking the start of “a new chapter” in his career, calling the part a “real pinch-me moment” as he steps away from his Spider-Man persona for a moment to play the son of a Greek mythological hero.

In the film, Holland plays Telemachus, the son of Odysseus, who was so young when his father left for the Trojan wars that he has no memory of him beyond the legends told about his bravery. 

Now 30, Holland said the role appealed to him partly because “it feels a little bit like the last chance for me to play a boy,” even as, in real life, he has recently married his co-star Zendaya, who plays the goddess Athena in the film.

Holland has been positive about the experience of working with Nolan, having previously told GQ Sports that filming was “the job of a lifetime, without a doubt” and “the best experience I’ve had on a film set.” 

He added: “It was exciting. It was different. And I think the movie is going to be unlike anything we’ve ever seen.” 

Nolan, for his part, has called Holland “one of the great actors of his generation,” high praise from a director whose films are treated as major global events and who, in Holland’s words, “is spoilt for riches with the list of actors that he’s worked with.”

Asked whether he found the prospect of working with one of cinema’s greats daunting, Holland didn’t hesitate: “Absolutely,” he said, though he approached it knowing he had prepared as best he could. 

He also revealed that Nolan personally asked his permission before offering Zendaya the role of Athena, a moment he described as “very special” when he went home to break the news to her.

The Odyssey also stars Matt Damon as Odysseus, alongside Anne Hathaway, Lupita Nyong’o, Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron and Jon Bernthal in a sprawling ensemble cast.