Matt Damon and Tom Holland Joked About Zendaya Getting Christopher Nolan’s Ultimate Compliment on The Odyssey

Christopher Nolan is famously hard to impress, which is exactly why one moment on the set of The Odyssey has fans talking.

In a new interview with ELLE Magazine, Matt Damon revealed that both he and Tom Holland became hilariously jealous after Nolan gave Zendaya a compliment that almost never happens on his sets.

According to Damon, Nolan usually keeps praise incredibly reserved while filming. The actor explained that the director is known for being “very circumspect,” often responding to takes with simple reactions like “Yep, good. Okay.” Damon joked that even hearing “good” from Nolan feels like “the greatest praise you could ever get.”

That changed when Zendaya delivered a scene Nolan apparently loved.

Damon recalled Nolan calling “Cut,” before immediately saying “Perfect,” which stunned both him and Holland. The actor joked that he and Holland spent the rest of filming obsessing over it, teasing each other whenever they only received a simple “good” from the acclaimed filmmaker.

The story has quickly gone viral online, not only because of the playful dynamic between the cast, but because it adds even more hype to Christopher Nolan’s ambitious adaptation of Homer’s legendary epic.

The Odyssey stars The Odyssey alongside a stacked ensemble that includes Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Zendaya, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, and Charlize Theron.

ELLE’s feature also highlighted Nolan’s admiration for the women at the center of the story, with Zendaya reportedly playing a major role in the emotional and mythological scope of the film.

With every new behind-the-scenes detail, The Odyssey continues to feel like one of 2026’s biggest cinematic events.