Tom Holland Shares His Intimidating First Day on Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’

Tom Holland has navigated the pressures of blockbuster productions for years, but nothing could prepare him for his first day on the set of Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’. In the role of Telemachus, who is desperately searching for his missing father Odysseus, Holland felt the emotional weight from the very beginning. He has now shared just how overwhelming that initial day truly was.

During a joint interview with Nolan and co-stars Anne Hathaway and Matt Damon for Fandango, Holland described that first day as one of the most daunting experiences of his career. The pressure stemmed from being part of such a large-scale production, working alongside Nolan and a talented ensemble cast.

To make matters even more significant, Holland revealed that the scene chosen to kick off filming was one of the most pivotal moments in his character’s journey, a deeply emotional sequence that carried real stakes. He was joined by Jon Bernthal, who plays Menelaus, and Holland noted that it was also Bernthal’s first day, leaving both actors to navigate what he called genuinely uncharted waters together.

“I think my first day for me was probably one of the most daunting experiences of my career, just being a part of a movie of this scale and working with yourself and with amazing co-stars,” Holland shared. “And that scene that we started with is one of the most important scenes in my character arc, and it’s a very emotional scene. I was sat with Jon Bernthal, who’s a good friend of mine — it was also his first day — so there was a lot of uncharted waters for us.”

As filming commenced, the shared uncertainty between the two actors grew. Holland recalled that Nolan frequently called cut during the scene, leading him to spiral internally, questioning whether the director was dissatisfied with their performance.

“And I remember it was really challenging, it was a big scene. We finished the day, you gave me a hug and a pat on the back, and when I left that day, it wasn’t until I left the set that I was like, ‘Oh, I can totally do this. Like, I can swim in these waters.’”

Holland later learned from stunt coordinator George Cottle that the repeated cuts were due to the IMAX film magazine only holding three minutes of footage at a time, which had nothing to do with the quality of their performances.

Once that misunderstanding was cleared up, Holland finished the day on a reassuring note. He remembered that Nolan offered him a hug and a pat on the back after wrapping up, and it was only after leaving the set that he realized he could handle the demands of such a large production.

The tension of that first day has since transformed into a close bond between Holland and Bernthal off-camera. At the film’s New York premiere, Holland surprised Bernthal mid-interview with a warm embrace on the red carpet, with Bernthal later calling Holland family, someone he has known since he was seventeen.

Holland has continued to praise the experience of working on the film in various interviews, telling GQ Sports that the entire shoot felt like the job of a lifetime, describing his collaboration with Nolan and producer Emma Thomas as the best experience he has ever had on a film set. Given how nerve-wracking that first day was, his glowing reviews since then reflect the trust built between him and Nolan throughout production.

With ‘The Odyssey’ now playing in theaters worldwide, Holland’s account of those early jitters provides a rare, honest glimpse into the intimidation of stepping into a major Christopher Nolan production, even for an actor as seasoned as he is.

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