Every Actor In The Odyssey, Ranked By Screen Time

Christopher Nolan has risen to become one of the world’s most acclaimed film directors. Nolan first gained widespread recognition for his work on The Dark Knight trilogy, before moving on to direct projects like Interstellar, Dunkirk, and Oppenheimer. Now, Nolan’s next project releases this week. The Odyssey, based on Homer’s poem of the same name, tells the story of Odysseus, the Greek King of Ithaca who goes on a long journey to return home after the Trojan War.

Matt Damon stars as Odysseus and is joined by Tom Holland, who plays his son, Telemachus. Those two aren’t the only famous actors in The Odyssey, however. For the film, Christopher Nolan assembled a stacked cast full of A-list actors, some of whom have sizable roles (like Damon and Holland), while others have limited screen time. Yet, in typical Nolan fashion, each actor gets their chance to shine, making The Odyssey one of his most memorable films in recent years.

18

Matt Damon: 46 Scenes

As Odysseus, Matt Damon leads the cast in screen time. Damon doesn’t enter the story in a full capacity until around 20 minutes in, but when he does, he becomes the main character of the story. From there, Damon is seen meeting a giant Cyclops, with which he fights, alongside the rest of his men.

Damon’s character also comes up against a number of other faces on his journey. At one point, Odysseus is given a meeting with the undead by the gods, who tell him how to get home. Odysseus also encounters a witch in the middle act of the film. Overall, Damon’s performance is impressive, and is one of the best in his entire career.

17

Tom Holland: 24 Scenes

As Odysseus’ son, Tom Holland is second to Damon’s character when it comes to screen time. Holland is the lead for the opening of the movie, which sets the stage for everything else to come. Over the course of the film, Holland’s Telemachus goes on a journey just like his father, as he tries desperately to keep the throne in his family and ward off his mother’s suitors.

Holland’s journey begins when he sets off on a quest to find out what happened to his father. Holland believes that discovery of his father’s whereabouts, even if he’s dead, will help the kingdom. As his son, Telemachus is also looking for answers about a father he never knew. This journey leads him to meet characters played by Jon Bernthal, Lupita Nyong’o, and more.

16

Himesh Patel: 16 Scenes

Himesh Patel plays Eurylochus, a veteran of the Trojan War who fights alongside Damon. Patel’s character then joins Damon as they set sail towards home, and is part of the group that gets sidetracked along the way. Patel survives the Cyclops and a wizard before eventually meeting his end when he defies the orders of the gods.

Overall, Patel does have significant screen time, but his character is not very important to the film overall. Yet, Patel still does a good job with the material he has, and is particularly impressive in his (many) fight scenes.

15

Anne Hathaway: 16 Scenes

Anne Hathaway re-teams with Christopher Nolan for the first time since 2014 in The Odyssey. Hathaway plays Penelope, a character who is arguably just as central to the story as Odysseus. Penelope is the subject of advances from numerous men all vying for the throne, but she refuses to move ahead with a new marriage in the hopes that Odysseus will return home.

Robert Pattinson’s character is one of the ones who wants the throne, and sees marriage to Penelope as the best way to achieve his goal. Penelope sees right through all these suitors, however, as does Telemachus, and the two are aware that they only have a limited amount of time before one of them will have to be chosen, unless Odysseus comes back.

14

John Leguizamo: 15 Scenes

John Leguizamo plays Eumaeus, a slave who is loyal to Odysseus. Eumaeus is treated poorly by the suitors, and is targeted by them towards the end of the film as they become more aggressive in their advances. He speaks about Odysseus to seemingly anyone who will listen, and talks about how great the kingdom will be when his master returns. This puts him into danger, however, which is why the suitors targeted him during their collective plot to stop Telemachus and take over the land. Leguizamo gives an excellent performance as the character, and is one of the highlights of the story.

13

Robert Pattinson: 14 Scenes

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Arguably the main suitor is Robert Pattinson’s Antinous. He sees himself as the next leader of Ithaca, and believes Odysseus to be dead. Pattinson can be considered the primary main villain of the film, even if his screen time is somewhat limited. However, he is in the film much more in the third act, as the flashbacks subside and the story centers on the present day. When the plot returns to Ithaca, Pattinson is there as a key player, and he remains so throughout the intense final battle.

12

Corey Hawkins: 13 Scenes

Another suitor, Polybus, is played by Corey Hawkins. Although he doesn’t have as much of an impact as Pattinson, the two do share many scenes together as they both work towards the same goal — taking the throne for their own. Hawkins’ character isn’t expanded upon as much as Pattinson’s, but the two are very similar because of their shared goal. They are seen working together, but not because they are friends. Instead, they both realize they have a shared goal, and are willing to collaborate in order to ensure that it’s achieved.

11

Charlize Theron: 10 Scenes

After failing to get back to Ithaca following the Trojan War, Damon finds himself stranded on an island with Calypso. She attempts to aid Odysseus as he tries to remember what his life was like before the war, helping him remember that he has a family and urging him to begin the quest to return home. In Homer’s text, Calypso is a god who falls in love with Odysseus, but the character doesn’t receive as much backstory in the film.

10

Elliot Page: 6 Scenes

Elliot Page plays Sinon in The Odyssey, a brave warrior who sacrifices himself during the siege of Troy. His death haunts Odysseus, and Sinon is one of the members of the undead that he meets in the second act of the film. Page is in the opening sequence of the film, which involves the Trojan horse that has become a symbol for the film. Page gives an inspired turn as the character, excelling with the limited screen time he has.

9

Zendaya: 6 Scenes

Zendaya’s character is one of the most fascinating in the entire film. She plays Athena, a citizen of Troy that was beheaded in front of Odysseus. Her ghost haunts him from there on out, representing his regrets about entering the war in the first place. This ends up being the central arc of Matt Damon’s character, and Zendaya plays a pivotal role in that.