- Matt Damon revealed Zendaya received a rare “perfect” compliment from Christopher Nolan during filming.
- He further shared that this praise has almost never happened on the director’s sets.
- Damon further praised Zendaya’s professionalism and versatilit
Zendaya is earning high praise for her performance in The Odyssey, where she stars as the daughter of Zeus and the goddess of wisdom and warfare, Athena. While the actress is admired offscreen for her poise, it appears she has brought the same commanding presence to Christopher Nolan's ambitious new film.
The 29-year-old actress appears on the cover of Elle magazine's Summer 2026 “The Epic Issue” alongside her co-stars Anne Hathaway, Lupita Nyong'o and Charlize Theron. Hathaway plays Penelope, the wife of Odysseus, while Nyong'o takes on the dual roles of Helen of Troy and Clytemnestra. Theron stars as the nymph Calypso.
In the interview, filmmaker Christopher Nolan spoke highly of Zendaya's ability to seamlessly step into the demanding role despite juggling multiple projects at the same time. The Oscar-winning filmmaker also noted that Zendaya brought an “iconic” sense of grace to the role, which made her the ideal choice to portray Athena.
“She's literally playing a goddess; it's a tall order. She's a true movie star, but also an incredible actor,” he added.
Matt Damon Shares Humorous Incident
The actor, who leads the film as Odysseus, shared a humorous behind-the-scenes story that proved how impressed Nolan was with Zendaya's work.
“Chris is known for being very circumspect,” Damon explained. “So when you do a take, it's not like he says, ‘That was great.' He'll go, ‘Yep, good. Okay.' And that is the equivalent of the greatest praise you could ever get.”
But when it comes to Zendaya, things are different. “She got a ‘perfect? I've never even gotten a ‘great.' She got a ‘perfect?'” he recalled.
Zendaya Got A ‘Perfect' From Christopher Nolan
Damon also recalled that Zendaya managed to earn something even rarer from the famous director.
“There were takes where she did this amazing scene, and he said, ‘Cut.' And then he went, ‘Perfect,'” Damon recalled. “Tom [Holland] and I were obsessed with this. She got a ‘perfect'? I've never even gotten a ‘great.'”
The actor joked that he and Holland spent the rest of filming teasing each other about Nolan's unusually enthusiastic response. “He and I bitched about it for the entire rest of the film,” said Damon. “Did you get anything today?' ‘No, I got a good—moving on.' ‘Yeah, me too.'”
Damon also praised Zendaya's professionalism and versatility, saying she had an “amazing ability” to step into the production, “blow everybody away,” and then return to filming Euphoria.
What Is The Film About?
The big-budget drama is billed as a large-scale drama involving global warming, time travel and even a possible superhero angle. It follows Odysseus (Damon) as he attempts to return home after the Trojan War while his family fights to protect the kingdom from looming threats. The project will reportedly have two timelines, with one part set in the 1980s and the other in the present day.
Apart from Damon, The Odyssey also features Robert Pattinson, Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Zendaya, Lupita Nyong'o, Elliot Page, Robert Pattinson as Antinous, Jon Bernthal as Menelaus, Benny Safdie as Agamemnon, John Leguizamo as Eumaeus and Himesh Patel as Eurylochus. Mark your calendars! The Odyssey will be out in theatres on July 17.
