Matt Damon has opened up about the extensive preparation required to play King Odysseus Christopher NolanA very powerful change, revealing one extreme way of making a film that he will never do again. The Oscar-winning actor discussed the challenges of bringing Homer’s ancient Greek poem to the show, describing it as the most challenging of his career.According to this week’s PEOPLE magazine cover story, Damon prepared for the role by dropping down to 167 pounds, his high school weight. This dramatic change required a major lifestyle change and not just weight loss. “I didn’t change in an inappropriate way. I think that if I did something different with the weight, it would be dangerous, and it’s not something I will do again. I was happy to do this earlier in my life,” Damon told the publication.
Damon practiced exercise and diet to keep King Odysseus alive in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey. Photo gallery (Instagram)
To be with the tortured and troubled Odysseus, who travels 20 years to return to his wife and son, Damon gave up gluten “in part,” he says. Dietary changes represent one aspect of lifelong change. “It was a lot about just being healthy, really, which just means changing your diet, changing your lifestyle. You have to be very serious about everything you’re putting in your body,” Damon said.
Physically important shots on multiple continents
The production of ‘The Odyssey’ pushed both the cast and crew to their limits. Filming took place in Iceland, Scotland, Greece, Italy and Morocco, requiring the entire team to travel through difficult terrain and inclement weather. Damon found inspiration in the collective commitment of all involved to achieve this vision.“This movie was the hardest movie, the hardest movie I’ve ever been on,” says Damon, explaining how those involved “worked so hard and fought against what they thought was possible.” Instead of making a traditional film, his production turned out to be very different. “It felt more like a journey than a movie,” says Damon, emphasizing the work’s dynamic and exhausting nature.The difficult conditions tested everyone equally. “And if you’re cold and wet, you just turn around, and look, and Chris was cold and wet going through it,” said Damon, showing how the director shared the physical and emotional demands placed on the actors. By the end of each week, the whole team is exhausted. “People are just running on fumes. But that feeling of excitement when we get to the end of the week, and we look around and it’s a real sense of pride like, ‘Okay, that’s another weekend.And I go home like everyone else and just kind of sleep, rest and prepare for Monday. I loved every minute of it,” he recalled.
Damon revealed his daughter’s words of encouragement after watching The Odyssey made all the hardships of filming the epic worthwhile. Photo gallery (Instagram)
Her daughter’s missing confession
Although the production was difficult, the most meaningful recognition came from Damon’s own family. The actor has a daughter who maintains an irreverent sense of humor in his professional endeavors. “I have a daughter who doesn’t really appreciate my movies and she likes to give me s—,” says Damon. “She saw The Odyssey, and at the end she turned to me and said, ‘Dad, I’m proud of you.‘”Damon laughed as he recounted the moment, explaining the importance of rare praise. “He never said anything like that, because we laughed a lot. At that time I was like, ‘I’m good. Everything was worth it,’ “he concluded, meaning that the true appreciation of his daughter justified every sacrifice and difficulty he faced during the production.‘The Odyssey’ opens in theaters on July 17.