All the Characters, Gods, Heroes in Nolan Movie

Matt Damon (“Good Will Hunting,” “The Martian”) stars as the eponymous Odysseus. Homer’s epic follows the aftermath of the Trojan war as Odysseus and his men attempt to return home to Ithaca. Along the way, he encounters a full cast of Greek gods and monsters, including goddess of wisdom and war Athena (Zendaya), the sorceress Circe (Samantha Morton), sea nymph Calypso (Charlize Theron) and cyclops Polyphemus (Bill Irwin). This is Damon’s third collaboration with Christopher Nolan, after “Interstellar” and “Oppenheimer,” but his first as the central character.

Tom Holland is Telemachus, the son Odysseus barely knew before leaving for Troy. Now almost of age, Telemachus is conflicted: Does he believe his mother Penelope that his father, who he so desperately wants to know, is still alive and coming home to claim his throne? Or, does he listen to the travelers who have heard no news of Odysseus and attempt to ascend to the throne of Ithaca himself to protect his mother from the scoundrel suitors? Holland also stars alongside fellow “The Odyssey” cast members Zendaya (Athena) and Jon Bernthal (Menelaus) in “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” which hits theaters July 31.

The steadfast queen of Ithaca is played by Anne Hathaway. As she waits for Odysseus to return from Troy, she fends off the increasingly rabid suitors invoking Zeus’ law of hospitality to gorge themselves on the palace’s food and wine and force her to choose one of them as her husband. Hathaway’s film credits include “The Devil Wears Prada” and previous Nolan collaborations “The Dark Knight Rises” and “Interstellar.”

Robert Pattinson is the conniving suitor Antinous, who plots for control of Ithaca in Odysseus’s absence. He has an affair with Melantho, mocks Eumaeus, threatens Telemachus and generally debauches the palace in his attempt to win Penelope’s hand. Pattinson’s other film credits include “The Batman,” “The Drama” and Nolan’s “Tenet.”

Zendaya stars as the goddess of wisdom Athena. Also the goddess of strategic warfare, Athena opposes the lawless actions the soldiers exhibited during the Battle of Troy and frequently visits Odysseus on his journey home to remind him of the cruelty, which goes against Zeus’ law. The actress got her start on Disney Channel and quickly rose to fame in HBO’s “Euphoria,” which earned her two Emmys and a third nomination for the upcoming award show. She is currently starring in the “Spider-Man” and “Dune” franchises, both of which have new films premiering this year. Her additional credits include “The Drama” (alongside co-star Robert Pattinson), “Challengers” and “The Greatest Showman.”

Benny Safdie returns to collaborate with Christopher Nolan after previously starring in “Oppenheimer.” The actor and filmmaker plays Agamemnon, the king of Mycenae who led the Greeks to victory in the Trojan War. While he believed he’d be welcomed home as a hero, his wife, Clytemnestra, had other plans (and a desire for vengeance) in store. Safdie previously directed “Daddy Longlengs” and “Uncut Gems” with his brother, and he was also featured in Paul Thomas Anderson’s “Licorice Pizza.”

The king of Sparta is played by Jon Bernthal. Menelaus is the brother of Agamemnon and husband of Helen of Troy, whose beauty and abduction started the Trojan War. The king fought alongside Odysseus and tells Telemachus old stories of them in battle while celebrating his daughter’s wedding alongside his wife. Bernthal previously starred in “The Punisher” and will appear in “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” alongside co-stars Tom Holland and Zendaya.

Lupita Nyong’o pulls double duty in Nolan’s epic adaptation. As Helen of Troy, wife of King Menelaus of Sparta (Jon Bernthal), she takes up the mantle of “the face that launched 1,000 ships.” Translations of the Greek epic differ on if she was kidnapped by or eloped with Prince Paris of Troy, but her departure kickstarted the decade-long conflict between the Greeks and Trojans. And as Clytemnestra, Nyong’o is Helen’s sister and wife of Agamemnon, the king of Mycenae who commanded the Greek army during the Trojan War. Translations again differ on the level of her involvement, but Clytemnestra plays a role in her husband’s fate after his triumphant return. Nyong’o is an Academy Award-winner for her role in “12 Years a Slave.” Her other credits include “Black Panther” and “Us,” where she also plays a dual role.

Elliot Page reunites with Nolan after starring in “Inception” back in 2010 alongside Cillian Murphy and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Page portrays Sinon, a Greek soldier who plays a crucial role in the Trojan horse plan and helping mislead the Trojans; Sinon is not mentioned in Homer’s original text but his story is told in Virgil’s poem “Aeneid.” Page had his breakout role in the coming-of-age comedy “Juno,” which earned him an Oscar nomination back in 2008.

Odysseus’ journey wouldn’t be complete without his second-in-command Eurylochus, who frequently challenges him about his treatment of the army. Patel led Danny Boyle’s 2019 musical drama “Yesterday” alongside Lily James and appeared in Nolan’s thriller “Tenet,” in addition to “Don’t Look Up,” “Station Eleven,” “Enola Holmes 2,” “Black Mirror,” “The Franchise” and “Bait.” Next up, he will lead Oscar-winner Ryan Coogler’s highly anticipated “X-Files” reboot for Hulu.

John Leguizamo plays Eumaeus, a nearly blind swineherd who’s fiercely loyal to Odysseus, even when everybody believed the hero wouldn’t return. When Odysseus ultimately arrived home after decades away, Eumaeus was the first person he sought. Leguizamo previously starred in “Encanto” and “Moulin Rouge!,” and he also voiced Sid the Sloth in the “Ice Age” franchise.

Bil lrwin plays Polyphemus, the one-eyed cyclops and son of Poseidon who is blinded by Odysseus and his men in their attempt to escape the giant’s cave. Irwin previously worked with Nolan on “Interstellar,” where he voiced and operated the robot TARS. His additional credits include “Rachel Getting Married” and Jim Carrey’s “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.”

Samantha Morton plays Circe, the Greek goddess with the power to transform humans into animals — not that Odysseus’ men know all the details when they turn up at her cottage on the island of Aeaea, desperate for food. In Homer’s classic novel, she turns Odysseus’ men into pigs. Morton is an Oscar-nominated actor for her work in “Sweet and Lowdown” and “In America,” both which released in the early 2000s. She also scored an Emmy nod for the TV movie “Longford” directed by Tom Hooper. Additional credits include “Morvern Callar,” “Minority Report,” “Synecdoche, New York,” “She Said,” “The Whale” and “Anemone.”

Charlize Theron (“The Devil’s Advocate,” “Mad Max Fury Road”) plays Calypso, a sea nymph who tricks Odysseus into staying on her island for years. Although initially acting out of a desire to heal the hero phsyically, Calypso becomes infatuated with Odysseus and delays his departure for as long as she can. Theron earned an Academy Award, Golden Globe and SAG Award for her role in “Monster” and also starred in “North Country” and “Young Adult.”

“Straight Outta Compton” and Crime 101″ star Corey Hawkins plays Polybus, one of Penelope’s suitors who works closely alongside the conniving Antinous. Hawkins earned an Emmy nod for his work in the limited series “Survive,” which released in 2020. Additional credits include “Iron Man 3,” “Kong: Skull Island,” “The Tragedy of Macbeth,” “The Color Purple” and “In the Heights.”

The horror scream queen known for “Pearl” and “X” makes a brief but memorable appearance as Melantho, one of Queen Penelope’s slaves who sleeps with her suitors. In the film, she deceives Penelope by working with the power-hungry Antinous, who wishes to wed Penelope and become the new king of Ithaca. Outside of her work with Ti West, Goth’s horror credits include “Frankenstein,” “Infinity Pool” and “A Cure for Wellness,” and next year she will appear in Shawn Levy’s “Star Wars: Starfighter” movie alongside Ryan Gosling.

Logan Marshall-Green appears as Melanthius, a slave and servant of Queen Penelope who mocks Odysseus when he returns to Ithaca in disguise. Marshall-Green starred in Leigh Whannell’s 2018 thriller “Upgrade.” TV credits include “Law & Order,” “24,” “The O.C.,” “When They See Us” and, most recently, “Marshals.”

It only makes sense that “The Odyssey,” an epic poem (in both senses of the word) opens with a bard—an ancient Greek poet and storyteller—telling the tale of Odysseus. Travis Scott makes his acting debut as the bard in Nolan’s adaptation and is the first figure and voice on screen. Nolan, who previously collaborated with Scott on music for “Tenet” (2020), credited this casting as a way to link the tradition of oral storytelling with the lyricism of modern rap. Scott also closes the film on the end credits track, “When I’m Home,” which he co-wrote.

After playing U.S. Secretary of War Henry Stimson in the Oscar-winning “Oppenheimer,” James Remar reunites with Nolan just two years later for “The Odyssey.” He plays Tiresias, the blind prophet whom Odysseus visits in hell, ultimately guiding him back to Ithaca to reunite with his son. Remar’s nearly 200 credits date back to the ’70s, with roles in “The Warriors,” “Drugstore Cowboy,” “Fatal Instinct,” “Mortal Kombat: Annihilation,” “Sex and the City,” “Criminal Minds,” “X-Men: First Class,” “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” “Megalopolis” and “It: Welcome to Derry.”