Highlights
- Tom Holland admitted he thought he had made a poor first impression on Christopher Nolan while filming The Odyssey.
- The actor later discovered the repeated interruptions were caused by the IMAX cameras, not his performance.
- Holland has since described working with Nolan as the best experience of his career.
Tom Holland has revealed that his first day filming The Odyssey left him convinced he had disappointed Christopher Nolan. It was only later that he discovered the director's repeated calls of "cut" had nothing to do with his acting.
The actor, who plays Telemachus in Nolan's adaptation of the ancient Greek epic, said he spent part of the shoot wondering whether the filmmaker was unhappy with the scene.
Tom Holland thought he was getting it wrong
Speaking to Fandango, Holland recalled filming alongside Jon Bernthal when Nolan kept stopping the take.
"I was with Jon, like, 'Why does he keep cutting? Why does he keep doing that?'" Holland said.
As the interruptions continued, he began to question his performance.
"In my head, I was like, 'Does he not like what we're doing? What is happening?'"
The confusion was cleared up by stunt coordinator George Cottle, who explained that Nolan's IMAX cameras can only record for around three minutes before the film magazine needs to be changed.
"I was like, 'Oh, thank God.' I thought I was totally shitting the bed in this scene," Holland said.
Why the experience became his favourite
Although his first day was filled with self-doubt, Holland has since described working on The Odyssey as the best experience of his career.
In a recent interview with GQ, he praised Nolan and producer Emma Thomas, saying he had never seen filmmakers work the way they do. He added that collaborating with Nolan and witnessing his approach to filmmaking first-hand was an invaluable learning experience.
The Odyssey arrives this month
Holland plays Telemachus, the son of Matt Damon's Odysseus, in The Odyssey, which is set to be released in cinemas on 17 July.
The film also stars Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong'o, Zendaya, Charlize Theron, Jon Bernthal, Elliot Page, Benny Safdie, Mia Goth and John Leguizamo.
