Tom Holland is calling ‘The Odyssey‘ a turning point in his career, but not just because it is his first film with Christopher Nolan. The actor believes the role arrived at a very specific time in his life.
As he enters his thirties, Holland says playing Telemachus gave him one final chance to show a boy standing on the edge of manhood. That feeling has made the role deeply personal for him.
Tom Holland Reveals What Telemachus Taught Him About Masculinity in ‘The Odyssey’
Holland plays Telemachus, the son of Odysseus. The young character is growing into a man, and his journey made Holland reflect on masculinity. “Maybe what you can learn from this movie about masculinity is that it comes in all shapes and sizes and no version of it’s perfect,” Holland said in a new BBC interview.
The role also brought another major first for Holland. The Odyssey marks his first time working with Christopher Nolan, a filmmaker he had wanted to work with for a long time. However, finally getting the opportunity also came with a lot of pressure.
Holland explained that working with Nolan was something he had thought about before the opportunity became real. Once he finally got the chance, the excitement came with the pressure of joining one of the director’s major projects.
“Before you’ve worked with him …. you think about it a lot and you yearn for that opportunity and then you get the opportunity and that comes with a lot of pressure,” Holland told the outlet.
Holland joins a star-filled cast in ‘The Odyssey‘. Damon plays Odysseus, while Anne Hathaway, Charlize Theron, Lupita Nyong’o and Robert Pattinson also appear in the film. Holland’s wife and ‘Spider-Man‘ costar Zendaya plays the goddess Athena, adding another personal connection to the project.
‘The Odyssey‘ now stands at an important point in Holland’s life and career. The film gave him a role that made him think about growing up, brought him together with Nolan for the first time, and allowed him to share another major project with Zendaya. All of it helps explain why Holland sees the film as the beginning of a new stage in his life.
Christopher Nolan Surprised Tom Holland With His Zendaya Casting Idea
In a recent interview with Access Hollywood, Holland revealed that Nolan came up with the idea of casting Zendaya as Athena. The suggestion meant a lot to Holland because he knew how much she admired the filmmaker. He also revealed that Interstellar is her favorite movie.
In case you missed it: Zendaya Recalls “So Embarrassing” Mishap After Botching Her Lines on First Day of ‘The Odyssey’ Filming
“It was such a gift because I know how much she’s admired Chris. Interstellar is her favorite movie,” he said. “[Nolan asked me], ‘Do you mind if I ask you a question, and please don’t be offended by my asking’. And he went, ‘Would you be offended if I asked Zendaya to play Athena?’. And I was like, ‘Why would I be offended?’ I said ‘I would be honored, that’s amazing. I’m sure she would love to.’”
Holland then shared how he surprised his wife with the news after returning home. “…I went home and she asked me about the meeting and I said to her, ‘You should read the script again,’” he recalled. “And she was like, ‘Well, I’ve read it.’ I said, ‘No, no no, just trust me, you should read it again.’ And she was like, ‘What are you talking about?’ I said, ‘Just read it again, but read Athena really closely.’ And the little corners of her mouth … It was amazing.”
‘The Odyssey‘ now stands at an important point in Holland’s life and career. The film gave him a role that made him think about growing up. It brought him together with Nolan for the first time and also allowed him to share another major project with Zendaya. All of it explains why Holland sees the film as the beginning of a new stage in his life.
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