Matt Damon revealed the intense six-month physical transformation required for his role as Odysseus in Christopher Nolan's epic film "The Odyssey." The actor described the process as all-consuming, shaping his daily life to meet the director's vision for a lean and strong warrior.
Nolan instructed Damon to aim for a look that suggested a veteran of the Trojan War, capable of handling himself but not one to refuse a meal. Damon noted that this particular physique was challenging to achieve. "He said, 'I just want him to look lean and strong like somebody who's a veteran of the Trojan War and can handle himself, but wouldn't pass up a meal if it was offered to him,'" Damon recalled.
The actor shared that he reduced his weight from his usual 185-200 pounds to 167 pounds for the role, a regimen he likened to that of a professional athlete. This involved meticulously measuring food portions and adhering to a strict gluten-free diet.
Damon found the gluten-free lifestyle demanding, noting its prevalence in many common foods and drinks, including beer, bread, and pasta. He recalled a moment in Italy when he promised his family pasta but had to retract the offer, opting instead for steak and taking small bites of his daughters' pasta. "I was just in it, I just, it was gonna be four or five more months. It’s all or nothing at this point," he explained.
Damon has continued to follow a gluten-free diet even after filming concluded, stating he feels significantly better. This is not the first time Damon has undergone drastic physical changes for a role. For the 1996 film "Courage Under Fire," he lost 40-50 pounds in approximately 100 days, a process he later deemed dangerous, noting that a doctor warned he could have permanently affected his heart. "I went too far," Damon stated. "I got sick, and I wouldn’t do that again because it was just too much."
In contrast, he described gaining about 30 pounds for his role in "The Informant!" (2009) as an enjoyable experience, attributing it to eating "everything I could see for a few months." However, Damon has expressed a reluctance to subject his body to extreme fluctuations in the future, emphasizing that his transformation for "The Odyssey" was not unhealthy.
Beyond the physical weight loss, Damon also grew a full beard for about a year to portray Odysseus. He and Nolan decided against using a prosthetic beard due to the extensive water stunts required for the film, as a hand-laid beard would not have withstood the saltwater. "Any movie problem, the best solve is a practical one," Damon said, adding that Nolan's preference for practical effects and in-camera action meant that when crowds or ships were depicted, they were real.
Damon eagerly accepted the role when Nolan offered it, describing it as "the role of a lifetime." "The Odyssey," which stars alongside Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, and Charlize Theron, has achieved significant box office success, marking the biggest opening weekend of Nolan's career.