Highlights
- Tom Holland recalls telling Zendaya she had been cast in Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey
- The couple celebrated the news together after Nolan offered her the role of Athena
- Holland also describes joining Nolan's epic as the start of "a new chapter" in his career
Landing a role in Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey was a milestone for Tom Holland, but one of his favourite memories from the production happened away from the cameras. The British actor has revealed the heartwarming moment he told his wife, Zendaya, that Nolan wanted her to join the film, saying the news left the pair "jumping around the kitchen".
While Holland stars as Telemachus, the son of Odysseus, Zendaya plays the goddess Athena in the filmmaker's adaptation of Homer's ancient epic.
Tom Holland shares the moment he broke the news
Holland revealed that he had already read the script with Zendaya before meeting Nolan, despite joking that he was not sure he was supposed to. When he met the director, Nolan asked whether he would be comfortable with him offering Zendaya the role of Athena. Holland said he returned home with the news and watched her reaction unfold.
"The little corners of her mouth went up. She had this little smile and then we both started jumping around the kitchen," he recalled, describing it as "a very special moment".
Although both appear in The Odyssey, the married couple do not share any scenes in the film.
Joining Christopher Nolan marked a career milestone
Holland, who rose to global fame through the Spider-Man films, said working with Nolan felt like entering a new phase of his career.
Calling it "a real pinch-me moment", the actor admitted he had long hoped to collaborate with the Oscar-winning filmmaker.
"Before you've worked with him and before you've got that call, you think about it a lot and you yearn for that opportunity," Holland said.
He added that once the opportunity arrived, his focus shifted to proving himself on set.
Holland says Telemachus may be his last youthful role
In The Odyssey, Holland plays Telemachus, the son of Odysseus, who grows up hearing stories of his absent father while trying to protect his mother, Penelope, from the suitors occupying their palace.
The actor said the character felt particularly meaningful because it may be the final time he portrays someone so young.
"The thing that I love the most is that it feels a little bit like the last chance for me to play a boy," he said.
Christopher Nolan's adaptation stars Matt Damon as Odysseus and Anne Hathaway as Penelope, with Zendaya taking on the role of Athena.
Damon revealed he accepted Nolan's offer before even hearing the full pitch, while Hathaway reflected on portraying motherhood in ancient Greece, saying Penelope's world demanded choices very different from modern parenting.
Shot entirely on IMAX film, The Odyssey brings Homer's centuries-old tale to the screen with large-scale practical filmmaking, as Nolan aims to present one of literature's most enduring stories through a fresh cinematic lens.
