Anne Hathaway Reveals Her Favorite Line From ‘The Odyssey’

Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’ has become one of the defining cinematic events of the summer, adapting Homer’s ancient epic with a sprawling, star-studded cast led by Matt Damon as the wayward king Odysseus. Anne Hathaway stars opposite him as Penelope, the loyal wife who spends years fending off a palace full of suitors while waiting for her husband’s return.

Since the film’s July 17 release, a handful of moments have taken on a life of their own online, transforming from serious dramatic beats into full-blown internet memes. Chief among them is a single line delivered by Robert Pattinson’s character, Antinous, the most arrogant of Penelope’s suitors, during a pivotal scene late in the film.

Now, in a new interview, Hathaway has revealed that this exact viral moment is also her personal favorite line from the entire movie. Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, she pointed to Antinous’s now-famous outburst as her top pick, noting with amusement just how aggressively fans have adopted the line for their own jokes online.

The moment in question comes from a key scene where Odysseus, disguised as an elderly beggar, returns to his own palace to test the character of the men occupying his home. When he asks the suitors for food, an increasingly frustrated Antinous snaps and demands the “beggar” be thrown out, unaware he’s speaking directly to the king he’s been trying to replace.

What makes the scene so effective, according to multiple critics who’ve analyzed its viral spread, is the layer of dramatic irony built into the moment. Audiences know exactly who the “beggar” really is, while Antinous remains completely oblivious, delivering his dismissive line just moments before his own downfall begins to unfold.

Pattinson’s exaggerated delivery of the line quickly caught fire online, spreading through social media within days of the film’s theatrical debut. The clip has since spawned countless memes, reaction images, and even brand attempts to capitalize on the trend, with fans applying the phrase to everything from customer service complaints to everyday annoyances.

That kind of unexpected internet virality isn’t unfamiliar territory for ‘The Odyssey’ as a whole. The film has generated multiple breakout meme moments since its release, including reactions to Zendaya’s stoic portrayal of Athena and a widely shared slow-motion turn from Hathaway’s own character during the film’s climactic bow-stringing scene.

For Hathaway, ‘The Odyssey’ marks her third collaboration with Nolan, following their previous work together on ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ and ‘Interstellar.’ The film represents Nolan’s first project since his Oscar-winning ‘Oppenheimer,’ and it brought together an ensemble that also includes Tom Holland, Zendaya, Charlize Theron, Lupita Nyong’o, and Jon Bernthal.

Hathaway has spoken previously about how physically demanding filming Penelope’s storyline was, describing certain sequences as feeling almost like being in a birthing suite given how intense and emotionally draining they were to shoot. That level of commitment has translated into widespread praise for her performance, even as critics have offered more mixed reactions to the film’s broader palace-set storyline.

With ‘The Odyssey’ continuing to dominate conversations both in theaters and across social media, it’s clear that even the film’s stars are just as delighted by its meme-worthy moments as the audiences discovering them

Have something to add? Let us know in the comments!