‘It is not something I will do anymore’: The Odyssey actor Matt Damon on the one thing he refuses to do for movie roles

All eyes are on ace director Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey. The movie, based on ancient Greek poet Homer’s epic poem, is ready to premiere in the theatres on July 17. The lead cast of the much-awaited magnum opus includes Zendaya as Greek Goddess Athena, Tom Holland as Telemachus, Anne Hathaway as Queen Penelope, and Matt Damon as Odysseus. Ahead of the film’s release, Damon, who previously worked with Nolan in Interstellar (2014) and Oppenheimer (2024), spoke about undergoing a major physical transformation for his role. The 55-year-old also shared why he would never gain weight for films anymore.

Why Matt Damon won't gain weight again

Matt Damon, in a conversation with People magazine, revealed that he lost enough weight to reach 167 pounds, matching what he weighed during his high school years for The Odyssey. The actor, however, admitted that he did not follow any ‘unhealthy’ measures for the transformation.


According to Matt Damon, if he had intentionally put on weight instead of losing some pounds, it would have been a greater and more ‘dangerous’ problem. For the unversed, Damon gained approximately 30 pounds (about 14 kg) for his role as Mark Whitacre in the 2009 film The Informant. As per Business Insider, he maintained a strict high-calorie diet over several months, leading to the drastic transformation.

Lifestyle changes behind playing Odysseus

Matt Damon, however, admitted that he wasn't willing to go through the same process anymore, citing health risks of rapid and purposeful weight gain. ‘It is not something I will do anymore. I was happy to do it earlier in my life,’ he said. For The Odyssey, on the contrary, Damon explained that he needed to be ‘really, really physically fit’, to portray the tortured, complicated Odysseus, voyaging for 20 years to return to his wife Penelope and son Telemachus.

Among the many foods Matt Damon was forced to give up was gluten. As per the Good Will Hunting star, the process wasn’t simply a diet change but a ‘whole lifestyle’ shift. ‘You have to just be very, very intentional about everything you are putting in your body,’ he noted. As far as his character is concerned, Matt Damon’s King Odysseus is lashed by stormy seas, hunted by a Cyclops and thrown into a forest teeming with bloodthirsty giants.

Why The Odyssey was Matt Damon’s toughest film

Speaking about The Odyssey, Matt Damon disclosed that it was the ‘hardest’ and ‘most challenging’ movie he had ever been a part of. According to the actor, everyone involved in the production was pushed to their absolute limits, constantly stretching beyond what they believed was possible. The experience, he said, had felt more like participating in an expedition than filming a movie.

Matt Damon also shared that Christopher Nolan led by example, enduring the same harsh conditions as the rest of the cast and crew. Whether they were cold, drenched by the elements, or physically exhausted, the director was said to have been right alongside them, sharing every challenge throughout the demanding shoot.