Entertainment
Matt Damon underwent a physical transformation for his role in “The Odyssey,” but for one particular action scene, he used a female stunt double.
Matt Damon is Odysseus in “The Odyssey,” written, produced, and directed by Christopher Nolan. Melinda Sue Gordon/Universal
July 23, 2026 | 12:47 PM
1 minute to read
Matt Damon underwent a physical transformation for his role in Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey,” dropping 15 pounds and building muscle by working out five days a week and tweaking his diet.
But the actor still used a stunt double for some of the more physical scenes in the movie — and in one instance, that stunt double was a woman.
During a recent appearance on the podcast “Happy Sad Confused,” Damon revealed the existence of his female stand-in after host Josh Horowitz called Damon’s on-screen physique “the greatest bicep work outside of a Hemsworth.”
After thanking the host for his high praise, Damon dove into the specifics of a particular scene in “The Odyssey,” in which Odysseus and his men land on an island populated by massive man-eating giants known as Laestrygonians.
A poster for “The Odyssey.” – Universal
Rather than use CGI trickery, Damon said that Nolan hired actors who could credibly showcase the size difference between the Greek soldiers and the mythical beasts.
“When we did the forced perspective stuff of the Laestrygonians […] there were these stunt men who were all seven feet,” Damon said. “And then they got stuntmen who were under five feet.
“So my double was a woman, a female stunt performer, who had the greatest arms I’ve ever seen,” Damon continued.
“The Odyssey” earned more than $264 million in its opening weekend, smashing box office expectations for an R-rated film that runs nearly three hours. “The Odyssey” has sold out IMAX and 70mm screenings in several cities for more than a month in advance, and critics and audiences alike have praised Damon for his central performance.
While Damon told Horowitz he has appreciated the reception, he made sure to shout out his female doppelgänger, thanking her “for all the work she put in.”
“It was almost 100 percent my arms in the movie, but I have to give credit where credit is due,” Damon said.
Sign up for The Queue
Discover the best movies and TV shows streaming now, with handpicked recommendations from Boston.com.
