Why Matt Damon and Tom Holland got jealous of Zendaya during ‘The Odyssey’

Zendaya apparently had two of her The Odyssey co-stars feeling a little jealous on set.

According to Matt Damon, director Christopher Nolan handed Zendaya praise so rare that both Damon and Tom Holland couldn’t stop talking about it. 

Speaking to Elle for Zendaya’s latest cover story on May 21, Damon explained that Nolan is famously reserved when reacting to scenes. “Yep, good. Okay,” is apparently about as enthusiastic as the Oscar-winning director gets after a successful take.

But Zendaya managed to earn something far more elusive: a “perfect” take.

“Tom [Holland] and I were obsessed with this. She got a ‘perfect’? I’ve never even gotten a ‘great.’ She got a ‘perfect’?” Damon, 55, recalled.

The actor, who plays Odysseus in the upcoming epic, admitted the compliment sparked ongoing jokes between him and Holland, who plays Odysseus’ son Telemachus. “He and I bi*ched about it for the entire rest of the film. ‘Did you get anything today?’ ‘No, I got a ‘good’ – moving on.’”

The feat becomes even more impressive given that Zendaya was juggling four different projects at the time of filming: The Odyssey, Euphoria Season 3, Dune: Part Three, and The Drama.

“I remember being on set for Euphoria; it was a night shoot at a ranch. I was so tired, but I was also learning my Chakobsa lines for Dune,” the actress, 29, said. “It’s not like I have a lot of lines in The Odyssey, but I was working with Christopher Nolan! The most embarrassing thing in life would be messing up my lines, which did happen once,” she admitted.

Luckily, Nolan had nothing but praise for Zendaya’s professionalism and “grace” during the demanding shoot, calling her “a true movie star, but also an incredible actor.”

Zendaya portrays the goddess Athena in the upcoming film, which is based on Homer’s ancient Greek epic. The ensemble cast also includes Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, and Charlize Theron.

The Odyssey is set to hit theatres on July 17, 2026.