Samantha Morton has expressed that securing a role in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey feels like a “rebirth” for her career, offering a unique opportunity to connect with a global audience.
Nolan’s cinematic adaptation of Homer’s epic Greek poem premiered on Friday, July 17, and has rapidly earned acclaim as potentially his most critically successful work. The film features Matt Damon as Odysseus, the King of Ithaca, navigating a perilous voyage home following the Trojan War.
The star-studded ensemble includes Tom Holland as Telemachus and Anne Hathaway as Penelope, alongside Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, Charlize Theron, Jon Bernthal, Benny Safdie, John Leguizamo, Elliot Page, Himesh Patel, Mia Goth, and Morton, who portrays Circe.
Speaking with Variety regarding the role, Morton recalled being moved to tears when she received the news. “Then we had a get-to-know-you chat, and I read the script. But I didn’t know if it would go any further. So when [Nolan] called and said, ‘Would you like to do it?’ I was blown away. He could have anybody on the planet, and he chose me.”
Morton also addressed the industry’s challenges regarding ageism—an issue particularly prevalent for women—noting that participating in such a blockbuster epic is a rare privilege.
“As you get older as an actress, roles like this are just few and far between,” remarked Morton, who began her career at age 12 and has received Academy Award nominations for Sweet and Lowdown and In America.
“I still work all the time, but predominantly in independent films or on television,” she explained. “It felt like a rebirth. I got to do what I do best for the best. To get the role felt like a second chance to be seen by the wider world.”
Nolan has recently offered high praise for Morton’s performance, noting that her work earned an on-set ovation—a rare occurrence he last witnessed with Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight. “This was a massive film and she is someone who comes in and changes the dynamic,” Nolan said.
“In some weird way, the film lived or died over that character. She was the fulcrum. I’ve always admired Samantha’s work; she brings so much depth of thinking to her role, and there are no limitations on her performance.
“After one of her takes, the crew gave her a great round of applause. I was talking with Emma [Thomas, Nolan’s producing partner and wife] afterwards and she remembered that the last time that had happened was with Heath Ledger on The Dark Knight.”
In a five-star review, NME described The Odyssey as “a big story made impossibly huge,” suggesting it may be the director’s most accomplished achievement to date.
Due to the immense scale of the production, Nolan recently indicated that there will be a hiatus of at least three years before his next project, noting he reached the limits of his own stamina during filming.