Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’ Cast: Every Actor And Their Character Explained

As the legendary King of Ithaca, Matt Damon steps into the sandals of Odysseus, the cunning hero whose decade-long journey home forms the heart of The Odyssey. The role marks Damon’s third collaboration with Christopher Nolan, with the actor later describing it as the “hardest” performance of his career.

Anne Hathaway stars as Penelope, the Queen of Ithaca, wife of Odysseus and mother to Telemachus. While her husband spends two decades missing, Penelope fiercely protects their kingdom, outwitting more than 100 suitors determined to claim both her hand and the throne.

By secretly unravelling her father-in-law’s burial shroud each night, she delays remarriage for years, cementing her place as one of mythology’s greatest symbols of loyalty and intelligence.

The role marks Hathaway’s third collaboration with Christopher Nolan. As the film’s press tour gets underway, Hathaway has embraced method maternity dressing, stepping out for the London photocall in a draped white Blumarine look evocative of the flowing silhouettes immortalised in ancient Greek sculpture.

Zendaya takes on the role of Athena, the formidable goddess of wisdom and strategic warfare. More than any other deity in The Odyssey, Athena shapes the fate of its heroes, acting as both protector and guide to Odysseus and his son, Telemachus (played by Tom Holland). Whether intervening in moments of peril or pleading their cause before the gods on Mount Olympus, her divine influence steers their journey throughout.

As Odysseus’s son, Tom Holland plays Telemachus. Initially living in the shadow of his father’s legend, Telemachus emerges as a compelling hero in his own right. With Odysseus missing following the Trojan War, his household has descended into disorder as suitors compete for Penelope’s hand while consuming the family’s wealth. Telemachus’s journey from boyhood to maturity becomes one of the epic’s central themes, charting his transformation into a worthy successor to his father.

Encouraged by the goddess Athena (who is fittingly played by Holland’s real-life wife, Zendaya), Telemachus sets out on a quest to uncover news of Odysseus.

Robert Pattinson and Zendaya are sharing the screen once again after The Drama, proving some on-screen pairings are simply too good to be one-and-done.

This time, Pattinson is embracing a more villainous turn as Antinous, one of the more arrogant suitors vying for Penelope’s hand.

During a recent interview with MTV U.K. at the film’s world premiere in London, Pattinson was asked, “How fun is it to play a character that everyone is not rooting for?”

“I think they will be rooting for him. I keep comparing it… it’s kind of like Jacob in Twilight,” Pattinson replied with a laugh, referencing Taylor Lautner’s character from the iconic vampire franchise that launched his career.

“What The Odyssey is about — Penelope just can’t make her mind up between the two guys and I’m just trying to like help her make a decision. … It’s like, it’s fine. He’s dead, get over it,” the actor joked.

This version feels a little tighter and more magazine-style, and “embracing his villain era” lands more naturally than “stepping into his villainous arc.”

The Oscar winner will portray both Helen of Troy—known in Greek mythology as the most beautiful woman in the world—and her sister, Clytemnestra.

The Oscar winner will portray both Helen of Troy, known in Greek mythology as the most beautiful woman in the world, and her sister, Clytemnestra.

Helen is the catalyst for the Trojan War. Whether her “kidnapping” was an abduction or an act of her own choosing remains one of mythology’s most enduring debates. Nyong’o will also take on the role of Helen’s sister, Clytemnestra, the wife of Agamemnon. Their marriage is one of Greek mythology’s most infamous, ending in betrayal, murder and a descent into tragedy.

Charlize Theron stars as Calypso, the sea nymph who keeps Odysseus stranded on her island. Enchanted by the wandering hero, she longs for him to stay, but neither her devotion nor divine powers can sway his enduring love for Penelope.

Goth plays Melantho, Penelope’s maidservant. In the original tale, Melantho ultimately meets a grim fate, hanged for her betrayal.

Page will portray the Greek soldier Sinon in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey. Best known as the cunning strategist behind the Trojan Horse deception, Sinon convinces the Trojans to bring the seemingly abandoned wooden horse within their city walls, sealing Troy’s fate.

Before his role was confirmed, fans widely speculated that Page had been cast as the legendary warrior Achilles. Instead, he’ll take on Sinon, who, in Nolan’s adaptation, is reimagined as a cousin of Odysseus.

Benny Safdie takes on the role of Agamemnon, the formidable king of Mycenae and commander of the Greek forces during the Trojan War.

One of Greek mythology’s most complex figures, Agamemnon is a revered military leader whose ambition and flaws ultimately shape the course of the war—and its aftermath.

The Odyssey marks Safdie’s second collaboration with Christopher Nolan following Oppenheimer, in which he portrayed physicist Edward Teller. Given Nolan’s penchant for working with familiar faces, it’s a fitting reunion.

In a Time profile, Christopher Nolan confirmed that Travis Scott will appear in The Odyssey as a bard, a professional poet and storyteller responsible for preserving tales of heroes through spoken verse. Scott previously collaborated with Nolan on Tenet, contributing the original song “The Plan.”

“I cast him because I wanted to nod towards the idea that this story has been handed down as oral poetry, which is analogous to rap,” Nolan said.