20 Key 'Odyssey' Characters and the Actors Who Play Them

Director Christopher Nolan's 〈Odyssey〉 boasts an unusually star-studded ensemble. From Matt Damon to Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron and Lupita Nyong'o, it's rare even in Hollywood for so many high-profile names to appear together. Homer’s original epic, 「the Odyssey」, follows Odysseus's ten-year journey home to Ithaca after the Trojan War; because the tale features so many gods, monsters and human figures, the scale of the cast rivals that of a cinematic universe. Here’s a guide to the characters in 〈Odyssey〉 and the actors playing them.

Odysseus – Matt Damon

The king of Ithaca who helped secure victory through the Trojan Horse ruse. He sets out for home with loyal followers to reunite with his beloved wife Penelope and son Telemachus, but his return is beset by violent storms, the wrath of the gods, monsters and human greed. Nolan said Matt Damon has the ability to take the audience on the journey with Odysseus while preventing them from rushing to judge his choices and mistakes. Damon himself said it felt as if his entire career had led to this film. Although this is his third collaboration with Nolan after 〈Interstellar〉 and 〈Oppenheimer〉, it is his first time in a title role for the director.

Telemachus – Tom Holland

Odysseus's son and the prince of Ithaca. He grew up without a clear memory of his father and, upon reaching adulthood, faces a painful choice: follow his mother Penelope's belief that Odysseus will return, or take the throne himself to protect his mother from the brazen suitors who have overrun the palace. Tom Holland powerfully captures the character’s complex inner life as he grows from boy to man. Coincidentally, he appears alongside fellow 〈Odyssey〉 cast members Zendaya (Athena) and Jon Bernthal (Menelaus) in 〈Spider-Man: Brand New Day〉, which opened July 31.

Penelope – Anne Hathaway

The queen of Ithaca and Odysseus's wife. As fewer people continue to believe her husband will return, she nonetheless maintains her faith and protects the kingdom and her family. Pressured by suitors who gorge themselves in the palace under the protection of Zeus’s law of hospitality, she is forced to choose one of them as her husband. Nolan said he needed Anne Hathaway to draw out the tension between her restrained exterior and the intense emotions beneath. Hathaway said she chose the project without hesitation because she was already deeply interested in Greek mythology, and this marks her third collaboration with Nolan after 〈The Dark Knight Rises〉 and 〈Interstellar〉.

Antinous – Robert Pattinson

The ringleader of the suitors who attempt to seize the throne in Odysseus's absence. He relentlessly pressures Penelope, conducts an affair with the maid Melantho, mocks Eumaeus and threatens Telemachus, wreaking havoc in the palace. Robert Pattinson said he interprets Antinous as a figure who symbolizes amoral modernity: flamboyant like a peacock, eager to show off yet more likely to instigate others than to fight himself.

Calypso – Charlize Theron

The sea nymph who keeps Odysseus on her island for many years. What begins as a desire to heal his wounds turns into passion, and she delays his departure as long as she can. Theron said the role offered her a chance to try a type of performance she had not previously attempted, and Nolan said he needed Theron’s intelligence and empathy to harmonize a character who has been interpreted in historically conflicting ways.

Athena – Zendaya

The goddess of wisdom and war and Odysseus's protector. Appalled by the lawless acts committed by soldiers during the Trojan War, she repeatedly visits Odysseus on his journey to remind him of the cruelty of defying Zeus’s will. Zendaya called the project a gift, saying it felt like winning the lottery. She added that Athena serves both as a mirror reflecting Odysseus's moral conflicts and as a guiding presence.

Agamemnon – Benny Safdie

The king of Mycenae who led the Greeks to victory in the Trojan War and the elder brother of Menelaus. He returns expecting a hero’s welcome, but his wife Clytemnestra harbors plans of vengeful retribution. Benny Safdie, who reunited with Nolan after 〈Oppenheimer〉, previously co-directed with his brother Josh Safdie on 〈Daddy Longlegs〉 and 〈Uncut Gems〉, and has acted in Paul Thomas Anderson’s 〈Licorice Pizza〉.

Menelaus – Jon Bernthal

The king of Sparta and Agamemnon’s brother; he is Helen’s husband, and her abduction set off the Trojan War. A comrade who fought alongside Odysseus, he celebrates his daughter’s wedding with his wife and shares tales of the battlefield with Telemachus. Jon Bernthal, well known for his role as the Punisher, also appears with Tom Holland and Zendaya in 〈Spider-Man: Brand New Day〉.

Helen · Clytemnestra – Lupita Nyong'o

Lupita Nyong'o plays two roles in 〈Odyssey〉. Nyong'o plays both Helen, the Spartan queen whose story helped trigger the catastrophe of the Trojan War, and Clytemnestra, Agamemnon’s wife and Helen’s sister, embodying both the war’s tragedy and its bloody revenge.

Sinon – Elliot Page

Reuniting with Nolan after 〈Inception〉, Elliot Page plays Sinon, the Greek soldier who plays a key role in the Trojan Horse operation and deceives the Trojans. Interestingly, Sinon does not appear in Homer’s original text; the character is found in Virgil’s epic, 「Aeneid」.

Eurylochus – Himesh Patel

One of Odysseus's men and his right-hand man. He often challenges Odysseus’s decisions in how the crew are treated. Himesh Patel, who portrays Eurylochus, previously appeared in Nolan’s 〈Tenet〉.

Eumaeus – John Leguizamo

A blind swineherd who remained loyal even when everyone else had given up on Odysseus's return. When Odysseus later returns in disguise, Eumaeus is the very first to welcome him.

Polyphemus – Bill Irwin

The one-eyed giant son of Poseidon. Odysseus and his men blind him, which allows them to escape. Bill Irwin, who voiced and operated the robot TARS in 〈Interstellar〉, reunites with Nolan in this film.

Circe – Samantha Morton

The Greek goddess who turns humans into animals. When Odysseus’s men arrive at her hut on the island of Aeaea, hungry and unaware, they are turned into pigs.

Bard (poet) – Travis Scott

True to Homeric epic tradition, 〈Odyssey〉 opens with a Greek bard narrating Odysseus’s story. This marks Travis Scott’s acting debut; he is the first face and voice to appear on screen. Scott first worked with Nolan on music for 〈Tenet〉 in 2020, and Nolan said he cast Scott to highlight how oral recitation of ancient epics connects to modern rap. Scott also participated in the film’s closing credits song, “When I’m Home.”

Polybus – Corey Hawkins

One of Penelope’s suitors. Polybus serves as Antinous’s right-hand man and is ultimately struck down by an arrow from Odysseus.

Melantho – Mia Goth

One of Penelope’s maids who conspires with the suitor Antinous to deceive the queen. Mia Goth, known for 〈Pearl〉 and 〈X〉, leaves a brief but powerful impression as Melantho.

Ankialos – Will Yun Lee

One of Odysseus’s men. Will Yun Lee, a Korean American actor, has appeared in films such as 〈The Wolverine〉.

Melanthios – Logan Marshall-Green

A servant of Penelope who sides with the suitors. In the latter part of the film, he slips into the upstairs storeroom to fetch weapons for the suitors and clashes with Telemachus.

Tiresias – James Remar

James Remar, who played U.S. Secretary of War Henry Stimson in 〈Oppenheimer〉, reunites with Nolan after two years. Tiresias is the blind prophet who shows Odysseus the way back to his son.