In a unique cultural crossover, actor Tom Holland joined historian and The Rest Is History co-host Tom Holland to discuss Christopher Nolan’s highly anticipated historical epic, The Odyssey. The conversation explored the vast technical and narrative scale of the production, with the actor detailing the unique demands of filming for the giant screen format.
"IMAX is a very different beast," Holland explained. "There’s an even bigger difference between acting on screen and acting on IMAX. Because you just can’t hide anything in IMAX. The resolution is so good and there’s no secrets. There’s nowhere to hide. It really promotes a sort of more subtle version of performance because it can very quickly become too much. So for me, I really enjoyed trying to find that biting point of where you were working perfectly with the camera."
The actor, who portrays Telemachus, praised Nolan’s ability to condense the expansive ancient text into a singular, cohesive screenplay. "I think it was the scope and scale of the story," Holland noted. "Turning it into a film feels like you’d have to make five films. It’s such a vast piece of work. But Chris’s ability to tell that story in 130 pages while maintaining the heart and the soul of what makes the story so exciting, so emotional, so relevant today - I think it’s just such a feat."
Discussing the narrative structure, Holland highlighted how the film balances historical realism with legendary folklore. "To me, the way I see the film is that Telemachus and Penelope represent the reality of the story. And Odysseus’ side of the story, Matt’s side of the story, represents the myth. And this humongous game of telephone has been played with this text." He suggested this thematic division influences the film's depiction of classic monsters, noting that "ten stories down the line, it was a Cyclops that they were fighting rather than a giant dude who wore an eyepatch."
Holland also praised co-star Anne Hathaway’s portrayal of Penelope as she faces a "20-year home invasion of these awful men," noting her character's deliberate styling is designed "to tell the audience that she still believes that today could be the day that he comes home."
