Marvel Star Reveals What Made Him Think Christopher Nolan Hated His Acting on ‘The Odyssey’
Tom Holland said he thought he was “s**tting the bed” on his first day on set.
Spider-Man star Tom Holland did not feel like a hero on his “daunting” first day on the set of The Odyssey, he revealed.
Holland, 30, plays Telemachus, Odysseus’ son, in director Christopher Nolan’s production. During a cast interview, Holland told Fandango why he thought the legendary director was disappointed with his performance on his first day.
“I thought I was totally s--tting the bed,” Holland, 30, said, prompting laughter from Nolan and co-stars Anne Hathaway and Matt Damon.
Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Matt Damon, and Robert Pattinson at "The Odyssey" Photocall at the IET Building: Savoy Place on July 05, 2026, in London, England.
Shane Anthony Sinclair/Shane Anthony Sinclair/Getty Images
“I think my first day for me was probably one of the most daunting experiences of my career. Just being a part of a movie of this scale and working with yourself,” the star said, gesturing toward Nolan, “And with, you know, amazing co-stars.”
“And that scene that we started with is one of the most important scenes in my character arc, and it’s a very emotional scene. I was sat with Jon Bernthal who’s a good friend of mine. It was also his first day. So, you know, there was a lot of uncharted waters for us.”
Christopher Nolan at the Paris premiere of "Oppenheimer" on July 11, 2023.
Julien De Rosa/AFP via Getty Images
The Odyssey is the first film to be shot entirely with IMAX cameras, which led to Holland’s confusion. “Working with the IMAX cameras for the first time is an experience,” he explained. “It is unlike anything I have ever seen before, and I didn’t know that it only ran for three minutes.”
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“So, I remember you would continue cutting, and I was with Jon, like, ‘Why does he keep cutting? Why does he keep doing that?”
Holland thought Nolan “kept cutting” because he didn’t like his performance on set.
Melinda Sue Gordon/Universal Pic/Courtesy Universal Pictures
Holland continued, “And in my head, I was like, ‘Does he not like what we’re doing? What is happening?” The actor said that eventually the film’s stunt coordinator reassured him and that he was further assauged when Nolan gave him “a hug and a pat on the back” after they wrapped filming on the first day.
Director Christopher Nolan with Matt Damon (as Odysseus) and Zendaya (as Athena), on the set of his epic adaptation.
Melinda Sue Gordon/Universal Pic/Courtesy Universal Pictures
Holland stars alongside Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Charlize Theron, Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, Elliot Page, Lupita Nyong’o, and his new wife, Zendaya, in the film, which is in theaters everywhere on July 17.
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