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The Odyssey cast: Full list of confirmed actors for Christopher Nolan film
Tom Holland, Zendaya, Matt Damon and more are set to star.
Universal Studios
- Molly Moss
- , Patrick Cremona
Published: Thursday, 16 July 2026 at 3:00 pm
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Christopher Nolan has assembled some pretty impressive A-list casts in his time – but his latest epic The Odyssey might just take the prize for the most star-studded entry in his filmography so far.
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Matt Damon – who has previously had roles in both Interstellar and Oppenheimer – takes on the main role of Odysseus in the blockbuster adaptation of Homer's poem, and he's surrounded by an incredible variety of big names.
Among the stars with the most major roles are Anne Hathaway as Penelope, Tom Holland as Telemachus and Robert Pattinson as Antinous, but that's barely scratching the surface of the ensemble.
There are also key roles for the likes of Zendaya, Charlize Theron, Elliot Page, Samantha Morton, Himesh Patel and Mia Goth in addition to John Leguizamo, Lupita Nyong'o, Jon Bernthal and Benny Safdie.
One of the foundational texts of Western literature, The Odyssey is attributed to Homer and was written in the late eighth century BC.
It follows the Greek hero Odysseus, king of Ithaca, as he makes the perilous journey home after the Trojan War and encounters various challenging enemies along the way, including the Cyclops Polyphemus, the Sirens, and the witch-goddess Circe, exploring themes of heroism, resilience, vengeance and divine intervention.
Wondering who else is set to star and who they might play? Read on to find out.
The Odyssey cast: Full list of confirmed actors
The list of confirmed actors so far is as follows. Scroll down for more information about the stars.
- Matt Damon as Odysseus
- Tom Holland as Telemachus
- Anne Hathaway as Penelope
- Robert Pattinson as Antinous
- Lupita Nyong'o as Helen of Troy and Clytemnestra
- Samantha Morton as Circe
- John Leguizamo as Eumaeus
- Zendaya as Athena
- Charlize Theron as Calypso
- Benny Safdie as Agamemnon
- Jon Bernthal as Menelaus
- Bill Irwin as Polyphemus
- Himesh Patel as Eurylochus
- Will Yun Lee as one of Odysseus's shipmates
- Corey Hawkins as Polybus
- Mia Goth as Melantho
- Logan Marshall-Green as Melanthius
- Jimmy Gonzales as Cepheus
- Andrew Howard as Polites
- Travis Scott as a bard
- Elliot Page as Sinon
- James Remar as Tiresias
- Elyes Gabel as Elatus
- Ryan Hurst as Mentor
- Jesse Garcia
- Rafi Gavron
- Shiloh Fernandez
- Nick E Tarabay
- Maurice Compte
- Michael Vlamis
- Iddo Goldberg
- Josh Stewart
- Anthony Molinari
- Jovan Adepo
- Sean Avery
- Ian Casselberry
Matt Damon plays Odysseus
Matt Damon plays Odysseus. Universal
Who is Odysseus? The King of Ithaca who journeys home after the Trojan War and encounters the Cyclops Polyphemus, the Sirens and the witch-goddess Circe.
What else has Matt Damon been in? Damon is best known for appearing in the Bourne franchise. He has also appeared in other real-life roles including as Carroll Shelby in Ford v Ferrari and as James Granger in The Monuments Men in 2014.
More recently, Damon starred in Nolan’s Oppenheimer as Leslie Groves, a lieutenant general in the United States Army who played a crucial part in the Manhattan Project alongside Oppenheimer. He also worked with Nolan on the film Interstellar.
Tom Holland plays Telemachus
Tom Holland plays Telemachus. Universal
Who is Telemachus? The son of Odysseus and Penelope, Telemachus is the prince of Ithaca who is desperate for his father to return home.
What else has Tom Holland been in? The actor is best known for his leading role in six Marvel movies as Spider-Man/Peter Parker. He has also appeared in Uncharted, The Devil All The Time and Cherry and The Crowded Room on Apple TV+.
Anne Hathaway plays Penelope
Anne Hathaway plays Penelope. Universal Pictures
Who is Penelope? Odysseus's wife and the queen of Ithaca, she is fending off the attention of many suitors while her husband is away.
What else has Anne Hathaway been in? Hathaway became a household name after making her 2001 debut in The Princess Diaries. She went on to star in films including Brokeback Mountain, The Devil Wears Prada, Rachel Getting Married and Les Misérables.
More recent film include Ocean's 8, Dark Waters, Armageddon Time, Eileen, Mothers' Instinct, the Apple TV+ series WeCrashed and The Idea of You on Prime Video, while this year she's already been seen in Mother Mary and The Devil Wears Prada 2, with The End of Oak Street and Verity still to come.
Robert Pattinson plays Antinous
Robert Pattinson plays Antinous. Universal Studios
Who is Antinous? One of Penelope's especially persistent suitors who butts heads with Telemachus.
What else has Robert Pattinson been in? Pattinson rose to fame playing Edward Cullen in the Twilight series. He went on to amass more impressive credits including Cosmopolis, The Lost City of Z, Good Time, High Life, The Lighthouse and The Batman. He has previously worked alongside Nolan in Tenet and has recently been seen in Mickey 17, Die My Love and The Drama, while he's also joining the cast of Dune: Part Three.
Lupita Nyong'o plays Helen of Troy and Clytemnestra
Lupita Nyong'o plays Helen of Troy and Clytemnestra. ANGELA WEISS / AFP
Who is Helen of Troy? A woman regarded as the most beautiful in the world, whose abduction was the initial cause for the Trojan War.
Who is Clytemnestra? Helen's twin sister, who is Agamemnon's wife.
What else has Lupita Nyong’o been in? The actress rose to stardom thanks to her role as Patsey in Steve McQueen's historical drama 12 Years a Slave, before going on to appear in Star Wars: The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi, as well as Jordan Peele's Us. She's also starred in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and A Quiet Place: Day One.
Zendaya plays Athena
Zendaya as Athena beside Matt Damon as Odysseus. Universal Studios
Who is Athena? The goddess of wisdom, warfare, and handicraft, who frequently appears to Odysseus.
What else has Zendaya been in? You’ll recognise Zendaya from her Disney Channel days in KC Undercover and Shake It Off. She went on to bag more grown-up roles in the Spider-Man movies, The Greatest Showman and Euphoria.
Following her Euphoria acclaim, she took on her first blockbuster roles with the two Dune films, before bagging a role in Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers and starring in The Drama earlier this year.
Charlize Theron plays Calypso
Charlize Theron. Photo by Theo Wargo/WireImage
Who is Calypso? A nymph from the island of Ogygia whom Odysseus encounters during a crucial stretch on his journey.
What else has Charlize Theron been in? Theron is known for her roles in films such as Monster, Hancock, Young Adult, Snow White and the Huntsman, Prometheus, Mad Max: Fury Road, Atomic Blonde, Tully, The Old Guard and many more films. She's also appeared as Cipher in the Fast and Furious franchise and featured as Clea in the post-credits scene for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Samantha Morton plays Circe
Samantha Morton. Getty
Who is Circe? A witch and goddess from the island of Aeaea who also has a memorable encounter with Odysseus and his men.
What else has Samatha Morton been in? Morton is known for a variety of film and TV roles over the years including Morvern Callar, Sweet and Lowdown, Synecdoche, New York, Minority Report, She Said and The Whale. In terms of TV, Morton has starred in The Last Panthers, Harlots, The Walking Dead, The Serpent Queen and The Burning Girls.
Jon Bernthal plays Menelaus
Jon Bernthal. Photo by Dominik Bindl/FilmMagic
Who is Menelaus? The Greek king of Sparta, who is also Helen's husband.
What else has Jon Bernthal been in? Bernthal is known for his roles in the MCU as The Punisher and in The Walking Dead as Shane. He has also starred in films such as Night at the Museum 2, The Wolf of Wall Street, Fury, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, Sicario, The Accountant, Wind River, Baby Driver, Widows, Le Mans '66 and King Richard, as well as series including The Class, American Gigilo and The Bear.
Benny Safdie plays Agamemnon
Benny Safdie. Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images
Who is Agamemnon? The Greek king of Mycenae and Clytemnestra's husband who is the commander of the Achaeans during the Trojan War.
What else has Benny Safdie been in? Safdie is best known for directing films such as Uncut Gems and Good Time alongside his brother, the latter of which he also starred in. He's also appeared in a number of high-profile films including Pieces of a Woman, Licorice Pizza, Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret and Oppenheimer, in addition to the TV series The Curse, which he co-created with Nathan Fielder.
John Leguizamo plays Eumaeus
John Leguizamo as Eumaeus. Universal Pictures
Who is Eumaeus? Odysseus's faithful servant, who remains loyal even during his lengthy absence.
What else has John Leguizamo been in? Leguizamo is known for his appearances in films including Carlito's Way, Summer of Sam, Moulin Rouge, Romeo + Juliet, and John Wick. More recently, credits include Encanto, Violent Night, The Menu, and TV series The Power – while he's also known as the voice of Sid the Sloth in the Ice Age films.
Elliot Page plays Sinon
Elliot Page plays Sinon. Universal
Who is Sinon? A Greek soldier and Odysseus's cousin who also fought alongside him in the Trojan War.
What else has Elliot Page been in? The Oscar-nominated star of Juno, he's known for Flatliners, Inception, for starring in the X-Men franchise as Kitty Pryde and for leading the cast of Netflix sci-fi hit The Umbrella Academy. More recently, he appeared in the film Close to You, on which he was also credited as a writer.
Himesh Patel plays Eurylochus
Himesh Patel as Eurylochus. Universal Pictures
Who is Eurylochus? Odysseus's second-in-command.
What else has Himesh Patel been in? Patel first found fame playing the role of Tamwar Masood in EastEnders for almost a decade between 2007 and 2016, and has since gone on to land high-profile film roles in the likes of Yesterday, Tenet and Don't Look Up. Small screen credits include The Luminaries, Avenue 5, Station Eleven, the Black Mirror episode Joan is Awful and The Franchise.
Bill Irwin plays Polyphemus
Bill Irwin. Getty
Who is Polyphemus? A Cyclops – and the son of Poseidon – with whom Odysseus and his men have a terrifying brush.
What else has Bill Irwin been in? Irwin is known for his TV roles on shows including CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Legion – while he previously worked with Nolan when he had a voice role in Interstellar. He's also a revered stage actor, having won a Tony Award for his role in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? in 2005.
Mia Goth plays Melantho
Mia Goth plays Melantho. Universal
Who is Melantho? A maidservant of Odysseus and Penelope – who doesn't appear to be especially loyal.
What else has Mia Goth been in? After making her debut in Lars Von Trier's Nymphomaniac back in 2013, Goth has appeared in a number of major films, notably starring in several horror films including Suspiria, Infinity Pool and Ti West's X trilogy.
Other credits include A Cure for Wellness, High Life and Emma, while she also had a key role in Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein adaptation.
Corey Hawkins plays Polybus
Corey Hawkins. Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images
Who is Polybus? Another of Penelope's suitors.
What else has Corey Hawkins been in? Hawkins is known for his role as Heath in The Walking Dead and playing Dr Dre in Straight Outta Compton, while other notable film credits include BlacKkKlansman, In the Heights, The Color Purple and The Piano Lesson.
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The Odyssey will be released in cinemas on 17 July 2026.
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Authors
Molly MossTrends Writer
Molly Moss is a Trends Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest trends across TV, film and more. She has an MA in Newspaper Journalism and has previously written for publications including The Guardian, The Times and The Sun Online.
Patrick CremonaSenior Film Writer
Patrick Cremona is the Senior Film Writer at Radio Times, and looks after all the latest film releases both in cinemas and on streaming. He has been with the website since October 2019, and in that time has interviewed a host of big name stars and reviewed a diverse range of movies.
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