Matt Damon Sheds Kilos for Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’ Role

Matt Damon has shared details about the intense physical changes he underwent for his part in Christopher Nolan’s upcoming epic, ‘The Odyssey’. The film, set to hit cinemas on 17 July 2026, features a star-studded line-up including Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, Jon Bernthal, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Lupita Nyong’o, and Mia Goth. Damon, who’s also got ‘The Rip’ with Ben Affleck landing on Netflix this January, spoke candidly about the much-anticipated project during a chat on the New Heights Podcast with Travis and Jason Kelce.

He didn’t hold back about the effort involved, saying,

‘I was in really good shape. I lost a lot of weight.’

According to Damon, Nolan had a clear vision for his character’s look:

‘He wanted me lean but strong.’

To get there, Damon worked closely with his doctor and made some big changes to his diet.

‘Just because of this other thing that I did with my doctor, I stopped eating gluten. I used to walk around at between 185 and 200, and I did that whole film at 167.’

Getting Back to Schoolboy Weight

The transformation wasn’t just about dropping a few kilos. Damon admitted it had been ages since he’d been that light, saying,

‘And I haven’t been that light since high school. So it was a lot of training and a really strict diet.’

The process involved a disciplined routine, with Damon sticking to his plan to achieve the look Nolan wanted for the role.

He’s no stranger to tough roles, but this one pushed him to new limits. The combination of a gluten-free diet and a rigorous training schedule helped him reach a weight he hadn’t seen in decades. Damon’s commitment to the part is clear, and he reckons it paid off in the end.

Filming with IMAX: A Noisy Challenge

During the same podcast, Damon also gave some insight into the technical side of shooting ‘The Odyssey’. Working with IMAX cameras brought its own set of challenges.

‘IMAX cameras are really loud. It sounds like a blender, like a Cuisinart in your face when the camera’s close to you.’

He pointed out that capturing dialogue scenes with these cameras was a first, saying,

‘We couldn’t have this conversation with a normal Imax camera because you wouldn’t be able to hear us.’

To get around the noise, Nolan’s team came up with a clever solution. Damon explained,

‘They built this giant thing around the Imax for those dialogue scenes and a system of mirrors so your eye line would be close to the camera and you could talk to the other actor.’

The effort that went into making it work didn’t go unnoticed. Damon praised the director’s determination, adding,

‘The amount of work that went into figuring out how to do (that), because he wanted to do 100 per cent IMAX and he did it!’