Matt Damon and His Middle-Aged Castmates Were Popping Advil on the Set of The Odyssey, All Because of One Painful Wardrobe Choice
Behind the scenes.
Matt Damon and the rest of The Odyssey cast were popping Advil like candy during filming, all thanks to one brutal wardrobe choice. According to PEOPLE, the 55-year-old actor revealed that the sandals they wore for the Christopher Nolan-directed epic left the entire middle-aged cast with brutal back pain.
Damon, who plays Odysseus in the nearly three-hour adaptation of Homer’s ancient Greek tale, said the footwear was so unforgiving that running through the stone streets of Troy was torture. Appearing on Radio Andy, Damon confirmed that every action sequence was filmed in sandals, a decision that turned even the simplest movements into a physical challenge.
“A lot of us are middle-aged people and what we got was back pain because, oh my god, running through Troy, it’s all stone,” he said. “You’re in these sandals, and they’re very real.” The discomfort didn’t stop at back pain. Damon admitted their feet were “all scuffed up” from the rough terrain, but the real issue was the strain on their spines. “It was a heavy Advil movie in those weeks when we were doing that action stuff,” he joked.
The physical demands of the role didn’t end with the sandals
Damon went all-in on his transformation into the legendary king and warrior, packing on muscle to hit 167 pounds. He called it “a whole lifestyle change,” one that required a strict diet and relentless training. “It was more about just getting really, really physically fit,” he explained. “Which just really involves changing your diet. I stopped eating gluten, among other things.” The dedication paid off, but it’s clear the sandals were the real villain of the production.
The pain wasn’t limited to Damon. During the film’s press tour, he shared a funny behind-the-scenes moment involving co-star Tom Holland, who plays his onscreen son, Telemachus. Holland’s costume was so restrictive that it started choking him mid-scene.
Damon mistook Holland’s frantic gestures for an acting cue, only to realize it was a genuine wardrobe malfunction. The mix-up is a perfect example of how Nolan’s commitment to authenticity can lead to unexpected challenges on set.
Nolan’s insistence on realism extends far beyond costumes
The director has a strict footwear policy on his sets, a rule he jokingly explained to CBS Mornings. “The funny thing is, you can be on a set where you’ve got a guy holding a microphone, you’ve got a giant camera, you’ve got crew everywhere,” Nolan said. “But something like that can actually weirdly take you out of reality.”
He argued that even small modern comforts, like UGG boots or off-camera snacking, can break the immersion for actors. “I want to stay in the moment; we want the actors to stay in the moment,” he said. “And so, for me, the UGG boots are a signifier of modernity.”
Nolan’s aversion to modernity isn’t just limited to footwear. The director famously operates without a cell phone, relying instead on his wife, producer Emma Thomas, to handle communications.
Damon revealed that Thomas was the one who reached out to him about playing Odysseus. “[She] had texted me, ‘Are you around for a call today?’ Because Chris famously doesn’t have a phone,” Damon recalled. When Nolan does call, it’s always from a random number, often a landline at Universal Studios. “He doesn’t know what number it’s going to be,” Damon added.
The director’s hands-on approach to filmmaking is well-documented
The Odyssey is shaping up to be another visually stunning, physically demanding epic, one that pushes its cast to their limits. For Damon and his costars, that meant trading comfort for authenticity, even if it left them reaching for the Advil bottle. The sandals may have been a pain, but they’re a small price to pay for a film as immersive as Nolan’s previous work.
Damon’s experience is a testament to the lengths actors will go to deliver a performance that feels real, even if it leaves them sore for weeks. And with Nolan at the helm, you can bet the final product will be worth every aching muscle.
The director has always prioritized immersion, whether it’s through practical effects or strict on-set policies. His refusal to let modern conveniences intrude on the storytelling process is part of what makes his films so distinctive.
(Featured image: Melinda Sue Gordon/Universal Pic/Melinda Sue Gordon – © Universal Studios)
Have a tip we should know? [email protected]
Follow The Mary Sue:
