‘The Odyssey’ Cast Answer The 50 Most Searched Questions

In this playful cast interview, Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, and Robert Pattinson discuss The Odyssey with a mix of jokes and genuine insight, framing the epic as the story of a man trying to get home after 20 years. They highlight the film’s practical effects, including a real whirlpool created with jet skis, seven-foot stuntmen used for the Laestrygonian giants, and an entirely in-camera pig transformation for Circe. The conversation also covers Odysseus’s disguises, his responsibility for the Trojan Horse, and the contest of the bow that Penelope uses to test him. The cast humorously debates his fidelity—joking about Calypso’s "one night for 7 years"—and ultimately agrees that Odysseus’s best friend is Penelope herself. They tease the Sirens’ scene as a beautiful monologue, confirm Poseidon’s grudge over his blinded son, and clarify the film is a sequel to the Iliad, releasing in IMAX on July 17th.

• ▶ 0:00 The cast opens by joking that The Odyssey was written by "Homer Simpson," then introduces themselves as Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, and Robert Pattinson.
• ▶ 0:23 Odysseus is away from home for 20 years, and at ▶ 0:31 Scylla kills six men.
• ▶ 0:47 Scylla is described as a six-headed snake monster, while Charybdis is the whirlpool—and at ▶ 1:04 the filmmakers created a real whirlpool effect using jet skis, with stunt coordinator George Cottle rigging six ratchets to pull stunt performers off the boat.
• ▶ 1:40 Asked if Athena loved Odysseus romantically, the cast jokes "No, because she's married to me," shutting down the idea with laughter.
• ▶ 1:46 On Odysseus’s fidelity, the cast playfully argues—one says "Here's the thing. No, no, no" and references "Charlize," while another tries to defend him by claiming Penelope had an "emotional affair," only to be mocked.
• ▶ 2:11 When asked about Odysseus staying with Calypso, the answer is "7 years," but the cast jokes "Nothing happened" and "It was one night for 7 years," downplaying the affair humorously.
• ▶ 2:20 Asked how Antinous treats Telemachus, the blunt answer is "Terribly," followed by sarcastic jokes about Antinous being "really nice" until Telemachus gets "big for his boots."
• ▶ 2:43 On why Odysseus disguises himself as a beggar, the cast explains clearly: "He's sneaking back into his homeland and he can't reveal his identity yet. And he's smart."
• ▶ 2:50 Achilles’s motivation is answered with a joke (“Ask Brad Pitt”), referencing Troy and drawing laughter.
• ▶ 2:58 The Laestrygonian giants were filmed entirely in-camera using 7-ft stuntmen, sub-5-ft doubles, and forced perspective to minimize CGI.
• ▶ 3:35 For the Sirens, Chris wrote a beautiful voiceover monologue where Odysseus describes the song, teased for IMAX on July 17th.
• ▶ 3:50 The main conflict is simply that “guys got to get home” — Odysseus’s fundamental struggle to return to Ithaca.
• ▶ 3:54 When asked who Odysseus’s best friend is, first answers include Argos the dog, Eurylochus (second-in-command), and Eumaeus the loyal servant.
• ▶ 4:09 The cast ultimately concludes that Odysseus’s best friend is Penelope, a choice the interviewer calls “very sweet.”
• ▶ 4:15 Calypso keeps Odysseus because she loves him and "she's got taste," with praise for Charlize Theron's performance.
• ▶ 4:24 Circe's pig transformation is described as incredible and terrifying, done all in camera; the cast explains she acts out of fear, revealing the men "are already pigs."
• ▶ 4:52 Penelope doesn't remarry due to "love, loyalty, great sex," followed by a joking bit about waiting for Telemachus to "ripen a bit."
• ▶ 5:10 Cast debate Telemachus’s age, settling on 16 as a coming-of-age choice, despite the math suggesting he should be 22 after Odysseus’s 20-year absence.
• ▶ 5:45 Poseidon curses Odysseus simply because Odysseus blinded Poseidon’s son—a joke noting the answer has existed for 3,000 years.
• ▶ 5:55 Agamemnon praises Penelope because his own wife killed him, while Penelope does not kill Odysseus—with the dry punchline that Agamemnon couldn’t actually praise her afterward since he’d be dead.
• ▶ 6:09 The cast unanimously confirms that Odysseus was responsible for the Trojan Horse, with one actor emphasizing "Famously, yes."
• ▶ 6:15 Odysseus is tied to the mast because he wants to hear the Sirens' song without jumping off the boat, a detail the cast fondly recalls.
• ▶ 6:44 On whether Athena chooses Odysseus, the cast playfully dodges a direct answer, teasing "Does Athena choose Odysseus, or does Odysseus choose Athena?" with a spoiler alert.
• ▶ 7:23 Penelope sets up the contest of the bow at the very end, and tests Odysseus with the bow that only he could string.
• ▶ 8:09 The cast clarifies that The Odyssey is a sequel to the Iliad, with Troy based on the Iliad and their film based on The Odyssey; Odysseus is both warrior and strategist, but especially known for strategy.
• ▶ 8:55 After Odysseus returns home, the cast calls it “Act III” and says he “puts his house in order.”

• ▶ 0:00 Opening Questions and Mythical Geography (0:00 - 1:40) - Who wrote The Odyssey, spelling it, Calypso as a monster, and explaining Scylla and Charybdis.
• ▶ 1:40 Odysseus, Athena, and Penelope (1:40 - 2:50) - Athena's romantic feelings, Odysseus's fidelity, his seven years with Calypso, Antinous's treatment of Telemachus, and the beggar disguise.
• ▶ 2:50 Warriors, Giants, and Sirens (2:50 - 3:50) - Achilles's motivation, the Laestrygonians' height, Antinous's murderous plan, and the Sirens' songs.
• ▶ 3:50 Main Conflict and Loyal Companions (3:50 - 4:13) - The main conflict of the Odyssey and Odysseus's best friend, Eurylochus and Eumaeus.
• ▶ 4:13 Love, Magic, and Loyalty (4:13 - 5:10) - Calypso's reasons, Circe turning men into pigs, the true love theme, and Penelope's refusal to remarry.
• ▶ 5:10 Telemachus, Poseidon, and Agamemnon (5:10 - 6:09) - Telemachus's age, Poseidon's curse for blinding Polyphemus, and Agamemnon's praise of Penelope.
• ▶ 6:09 Heroic Exploits and Divine Favor (6:09 - 7:07) - The Trojan Horse, being tied to the mast, lessons from Menelaus, the Underworld visit, and Athena's choice of Odysseus.
• ▶ 7:07 Production, Ending, and Final Lore (7:07 - 10:36) - Filming locations, the contest of the bow, when it was written, Circe as a witch, underworld shades, Penelope's test, and the Troy connection.