Director Christopher Nolan’s summer blockbuster The Odyssey is a retelling of Homer’s epic poem—and it features an all-star cast. Much like the Greek epic, the film follows Odysseus as he travels home to Ithaca in the wake of the Trojan War, but the king’s journey is anything but smooth.
While Nolan confirmed that he tried to stay as true to the source material as possible, he did reveal that the characters will all speak contemporary English dialogue. Arriving in theaters July 17, The Odyssey features a massive ensemble cast full of many familiar faces.
Here’s a breakdown of the cast and which iconic characters they play.
Matt Damon
In The Odyssey, Matt Damon stars as the hero Odysseus, who faces several obstacles on his journey home back to his wife Penelope and son Telemachus.
Damon previously worked with Nolan in the sci-fi flick Interstellar (2014) and biographical thriller Oppenheimer (2023). Hailing from Massachusetts, the 55-year-old actor rose to fame after co-writing and starring in 1997’s Good Will Hunting, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay with Ben Affleck. He is also known for his roles in the Jason Bourne franchise, Saving Private Ryan (1998), and The Martian (2015).
Anne Hathaway
Anne Hathaway plays Odysseus’s wife Penelope, who is forced to ward off countless aggressive suitors in her husband’s 20-year absence.
Like Damon, Hathaway, 43, is also an Interstellar alumna and played Catwoman in Nolan’s 2008 superhero flick The Dark Knight. The New Jersey native got her start as Mia Thermopolis in The Princess Diaries (2001) and quickly became a household name with the release of The Devil Wears Prada in 2006. She later won an Oscar for her performance in the film adaptation of Les Misérables (2012). So far, 2026 has been a big year for Hathaway, who has already appeared in Mother Mary and The Devil Wears Prada 2.
Tom Holland
British actor Tom Holland portrays Odysseus and Penelope’s son Telemachus. One of the main characters in the story, Telemachus sets off to find his father, whom he has never met, and helps him defeat his mother’s suitors.
Holland, 30, is perhaps best known for his starring role in the Spider-Man franchise, making his debut as Peter Parker/Spider-Man in 2016’s Captain America: Civil War before starring in his own feature in Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017). He has also appeared in The Devil All the Time (2020) and Uncharted (2022) and has earned notoriety for his relationship with fellow actor Zendaya.
Lupita Nyong’o
Kenyan-Mexican actor Lupita Nyong’o plays sisters Clytemnestra and Helen of Troy—the face that launched a thousand ships and started the Trojan War.
Nyong’o first rose to stardom with her Oscar-winning performance in 12 Years a Slave (2013), for which she earned the award for Best Supporting Actress. The 43-year-old actor has since appeared as Maz Kanata in the Star Wars franchise and starred as Nakia in the Black Panther movies. She has also appeared in the horror movies Us (2019) and A Quiet Place: Day One (2024).
Zendaya
Zendaya portrays Athena, the goddess of wisdom and warfare, who champions Odysseus on his journey.
The 29-year-old actor and singer began her career on the Disney Channel, appearing in the sitcoms Shake It Up and K.C. Undercover and soon gained global recognition in 2017 for her turn as MJ in the Spider-Man movies. Zendaya later won two Emmys and a Golden Globe Award for her critically acclaimed performance as Rue in the HBO series Euphoria and has continued to turn heads in films like Challengers (2024) and The Drama (2026), as well as the Dune franchise.
Robert Pattinson
Robert Pattinson stars as Antinous—the main antagonist and arrogant ringleader of Penelope’s many suitors.
After gaining early recognition as Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005), the British actor skyrocketed to fame in 2008 as teen heartthrob Edward Cullen in the Twilight saga. As an adult, Pattinson, now 40, transitioned to more gritty roles, appearing in Good Time (2017) and Nolan’s sci-fi action thriller Tenet (2020) before suiting up as the Caped Crusader in 2022’s The Batman. More recently, he starred alongside Zendaya in The Drama.
Charlize Theron
Charlize Theron is taking on the role of Calypso, a powerful sea nymph who traps Odysseus on the island Ogygia.
Born in South Africa, the 50-year-old actor put herself on the map with her Oscar-winning role as serial killer Aileen Wuornos in 2003’s Monster and earned critical acclaim for her performance in North Country (2005). After starring in the spy thriller Atomic Blonde (2017), Theron played a mother of three in Tully (2018) before starring in 2019’s Bombshell, in which she portrayed former Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly. She has also appeared in the Fast and Furious franchise and The Old Guard movies.
John Leguizamo
John Leguizamo portrays Eumaeus, a blind swineherd who remains a loyal subject to Odysseus.
Leguizamo is best known for voicing Sid in the Ice Age franchise. The 65-year-old actor and stand-up comedian landed his breakout role in the crime thriller Carlito’s Way in 1993 and went on to play a drag queen in To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar (1995). After portraying Tybalt in the 1996 adaptation of Romeo + Juliet, he starred in 2001’s Moulin Rouge! with Nicole Kidman. Leguizamo has since appeared in the John Wick franchise and voiced Bruno Madrigal in Disney’s Encanto (2021).
Elliot Page
Canadian actor Elliot Page plays Sinon, a warrior and cousin of Odysseus. Though he is not featured in Homer’s Odyssey, Sinon is mentioned in Virgil’s Aeneid.
Having previously appeared in Nolan’s 2010 sci-fi movie Inception, Page, 39, has taken on a wide variety of roles. He first earned recognition for his Oscar-nominated role in Juno (2007), which was soon followed by the coming-of-age roller derby comedy Whip It (2009). Shortly after starring in the 2016 comedy-drama Tallulah, Page turned to television, appearing in Tales of the City (2019) and The Umbrella Academy, during which time Page came out as trans.
Himesh Patel
British actor Himesh Patel stars as Eurylochus, the second-in-command of Odysseus’s ship on his voyage home.
Patel began his career on the English soap opera EastEnders in 2007 and later made his Hollywood breakthrough in the Beatles-inspired musical film Yesterday (2019). The 35-year-old soon followed up with Tenet and Don’t Look Up (2021) before starring in the dystopian miniseries Station Eleven. He has since appeared in the Enola Holmes movies, Dan Levy’s comedy-drama Good Grief (2023), and the entertainment industry satire The Franchise (2024).
Catherine Caruso joined the Biography.com staff in August 2024, having previously worked as a freelance journalist for several years. She is a graduate of Syracuse University, where she studied English literature. When she’s not working on a new story, you can find her reading, hitting the gym, or watching too much TV.
