Matt Damon Reflects on Challenges of Epic "The Odyssey" Shoot

WHO:

Salon - Matt Damon is the actor reflecting on his experiences during the filming of "The Odyssey."

Fox News - Christopher Nolan is the director of "The Odyssey."

WHAT:

Fox News - Matt Damon described "The Odyssey" as the "hardest" film of his 80-movie career.

Fox News - Damon dropped to 167 pounds for the role by quitting gluten.

Salon - Damon stated that movies like Nolan's upcoming epic are a casualty of studios' "risk aversion."

WHY:

Salon - Damon believes that the scale of films like "The Odyssey" is unlikely to be seen again due to studios' reluctance to take risks.

HOW:

Fox News - Damon achieved his weight loss by quitting gluten, which contributed to his physical discomfort during filming.

(UPDATED July 12, 2026 21:11 UTC)

Matt Damon recently reflected on his experiences filming "The Odyssey," calling it the hardest project of his impressive 80-movie career. To prepare for the role, he dropped to 167 pounds by quitting gluten, which he noted added to his physical discomfort during production. Damon also expressed concern that the ambitious scale of films like "The Odyssey" may become rare, as studios increasingly shy away from taking risks.