'It has been beyond my wildest dreams'
Former EastEnder Himesh Patel talks playing Odysseus’s second in command, while acting veteran John Leguizamo reflects on portraying the hero's visually impaired swineherd
Universal Pictures
- Michael Hodges
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Himesh Patel
How did you find out you had been chosen for this role?
I had picked my kids up from school and was outside my house. I had just got out the car, was letting them into the house, and then they called. I was like, “You’re effing kidding me?” I was shaking. And my partner said, “Are you OK?” “Well, something has happened. It’s not bad. It’s the opposite of bad. It’s pretty good.”
Eurylochus has a very tough time, he must face monsters, storms, and battles with the terrifying Laestrygonians...
It was the most physically demanding role that I’ve played so far. It was a real kick up the backside, reminding me that I need to take better care of myself physically if I’m going to be ready for this sort of thing.
What was life on Odysseus’s ship like?
I certainly felt that camaraderie on the boat, we’ve bonded for life in that way. You never felt like it was ever going to be dangerous. There’s always an element of peril, but there are boundaries to what we’re doing. You have to know that as an actor, whatever job it is.
Is there one moment that will stay with you?
We were on the boat in Scotland, and it was quite rough sea that day, rough enough for half of the actors to be throwing up over one side of the boat. I looked over the other side of the boat and dolphins started appearing in the water. It was just magical.
Did you read the Odyssey as a boy?
I don’t think the Odyssey was on the curriculum when I was at school but growing up in the era, when the film Troy came out, I was very aware of that story around that time. There was a play of Agamemnon that I studied when I did A-level drama, and a brief glimpse of that story appears in this movie. I was obviously aware of the Cyclops, the Laestrygonians and Scylla, all these things, but I never sat and read the text.
Himesh Patel in EastEnders. BBC
What a journey you’ve been on from EastEnders to The Odyssey...
Everything I’ve done in the last seven to eight years has been beyond my wildest dreams, but this movie was such a singular experience. There is only one guy who makes movies like this. I don’t know where my career is going but even if I have the privilege of working with Chris again, it won’t be this story, it won’t be this sort of thing.
John Leguizamo
John Leguizamo in The Odyssey Universal Pictures
John, you’re 66. Was this a tough film to make?
There was a 900-foot cliff to climb up every day and I had a visual impairment. There were bad winds, it was freezing cold and we were wearing togas. For it to look real on film, you need a touch of danger.
Is the film partly about how men acquit themselves today?
This story survived thousands of years because the themes resonate with every generation. Afterwards I questioned my own life. I walked away thinking. “Have I done the right thing?” I’ve made so many mistakes, but also that family is everything at the end.
John Leguizamo as Tybalt in Baz Luhrmann's 1986 film, Romeo + Juliet. Shutterstock
Did you know The Odyssey?
In America, we read a kids’ version in high school, and then I read it later at 19. But what Chris was able to capture in those two hours and 52 minutes is unbelievable. It’s emotional, it’s accessible. It hits you on a human level.
Do you recall when the part was first suggested?
I had lunch with Christopher and after two hours he offered it to me. I tried to act not so excited but I ran home to call my friends. It’s life-changing.
Was there a unique atmosphere making this film?
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Matt Damon and Chris were the unifying forces. They both give so much that we all have to rise to that same level. I’ve been in this business for 40 years and I could never have pictured being here. I should retire now.
Authors
Michael Hodges
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