This Thursday the 16th arrives in national cinemas The Odyssey, the new film by Christopher Nolan. The director adapts the classic tale of Homer in what is his thirteenth feature film, a blockbuster that brings together cyclopes, gods, sirens, and a top-tier cast. It is no wonder it is one of the most anticipated releases of 2026.
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For the film, Nolan called on Matt Damon to play Odysseus, Anne Hathaway as Penelope, and Tom Holland in the role of Telemachus, the son of the Greek hero.
The cast also includes Robert Pattinson, Elliot Page, Lupita Nyong’o, Charlize Theron, and Zendaya, who in recent weeks have participated in various promotional activities.
It was precisely during one of these that Zendaya revealed an anecdote about her joining the project. Invited to The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, the actress — who plays the goddess Athena — said that at first, she did not know that Christopher Nolan also wanted to add her to the cast.
In fact, the first to receive the call was her current partner, Tom Holland, who had already been confirmed to play Telemachus.
“Tom got the call and my heart was full. I was very excited for him. He’s the best and deserves this. Obviously, I’m his biggest fan, but I’m also a big admirer of Chris Nolan,” the actress said on the show.
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Zendaya took the opportunity to leaf through the script of The Odyssey that Holland had received. “I had the script at my house. What was I going to do?” she said laughing.
After the actor attended a meeting with Nolan, she asked how the meeting had gone. However, instead of answering her directly, Holland gave her a hint.
“He told me: ‘Read the script again.’ I replied: ‘Why? We just read it last night.’ Then he said: ‘Read it again, but with Athena in mind.’” It was at that moment that the actress realized Nolan also wanted to add her to the cast.
“I was very grateful that he (Holland) was the one to give me the news. It was a very special moment,” she concluded.
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Check out Zendaya’s interview on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon:
