Christopher Nolan gave Matt Damon a real beard for The Odyssey
The director, “not a fan of wigs and hairpieces”, had a particular requirement for his Ulysses…
Ulysses spent many months at sea, and inevitably, his beard ended up growing….
Christopher Nolan didn’t want to leave anything to chance for his Odyssey. The director had a very clear requirement for Matt Damon, who plays the King of Ithaca in the film adapted from Homer. The actor tells Empire:
“Chris wanted it to be real, a real beard! But I had never tried to grow a beard that long before. And for lots of reasons. Starting with my children who don’t like it when I poke like that…”
So, Matt Damon tried to get around the problem and suggested a fake beard. But Nolan immediately refused. “I’m not a fan of wigs and fake beards. You need the physicality of real hair, to be able to pass it under a jet of water or do everything you have planned…”explains the director. A logic that fits perfectly with his obsession with realism and practical effects. In Tenet (2020), he literally crashed a Boeing 747 into a building rather than relying on CGI.
As a good professional, Matt Damon complied with his director’s requests and played the facial hair game. His beard was first seen in the official still from the film, partially hidden by a helmet. The set photos later showed off the entire look.
The Odyssey will be released in theaters on July 15, 2026. In the cast: Tom Holland and also Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron, Jon Bernthal, Elliot Page and Lupita Nyong’o.
