Matt Damon & Tom Holland Recall Getting Jealous as Christopher Nolan Praised Zendaya’s “Perfect” Performance on Set of ‘The Odyssey’
Matt Damon has opened up about a funny but honest moment on the set of Christopher Nolan’s upcoming film The Odyssey, saying he and Tom Holland both felt a bit jealous of Zendaya after Nolan praised her work in a way they rarely saw him praise anyone else.
The comments come from an interview included in an Elle feature by Alexis Okeowo, where Zendaya is also profiled and the cast talks about their experience working on the film.
According to Damon, Nolan is usually very reserved when giving feedback to actors. He does not hand out praise easily. Instead of big reactions, he tends to stay quiet and simple. Damon explained that even a “good” from Nolan is already a strong sign that something worked.
But things felt different when Zendaya was on set. Damon recalled that there were moments when Zendaya delivered a scene and Nolan reacted in a way that stood out from his usual style. He said Nolan would occasionally stop a take and say “perfect.”
For Damon and Holland, that word became a running joke and a source of light jealousy.
“Chris is known for being very circumspect. 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,” Damon said in the Elle feature, as reported by writer Alexis Okeowo.
He went on to explain that Zendaya receiving a “perfect” from Nolan became a talking point between him and Holland throughout filming.
“Zendaya, on the other hand—there were takes where she did one thing, she did this amazing scene, and he said, ‘Cut.’ And then he went, ‘Perfect.’ And literally, Tom [Holland] and I were obsessed with this. She got a ‘perfect’? I’ve never even gotten a ‘great.’ She got a ‘perfect’? He and I bitched about it for the entire rest of the film.”
Damon said it was not serious jealousy, but more of a playful reaction between co-stars who were impressed by what they were seeing. He added that both he and Holland were constantly comparing notes after takes, especially when it came to how Nolan responded to each actor’s work.
Despite the joking tone, Damon made it clear that Zendaya’s performance stood out in a real way. He described her ability to move between demanding productions while still delivering strong work on set.
“So it was this amazing ability she had to come in and really put herself in there and blow everybody away, and then just go back to shooting Euphoria,” Damon said.
Zendaya plays Athena in The Odyssey, and the cast has repeatedly described her as someone who brings calm focus to very intense filming conditions. Nolan himself, also quoted in the Elle feature, said he sought her out because of her “iconic grace” and her ability to fit a role that required both presence and emotional depth.
For Damon, that combination seems to explain why she was the one getting the rare “perfect” from Nolan. Even if it came with a bit of teasing from her co-stars.
The Odyssey, directed by Christopher Nolan and written by Alexis Okeowo’s feature coverage, brings together a large ensemble cast and is one of the most anticipated releases of the year.
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