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Zendaya stars as Athena in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey alongside Anne Hathaway, Lupita Nyong’o, and Charlize Theron
Nolan praised Zendaya’s “grace and poise,” calling her a “true movie star” and perfect for the role of a goddess
Matt Damon shared how Zendaya impressed the cast and crew while balancing Euphoria and other major projects
Zendaya stars as Athena—the daughter of Zeus and the goddess of wisdom and warfare—in The Odyssey. Offscreen, she’s widely admired for her poise and presence.
The 29-year-old actress is on the cover of Elle’s Summer 2026 The Epic Issue, alongside her female costars Anne Hathaway (Odysseus’ wife Penelope), Lupita Nyong’o (playing Helen of Troy, as well as the character’s twin sister Clytemnestra), and Charlize Theron (the nymph Calypso).
In the issue, filmmaker Christopher Nolan praised Zendaya for her ability to adapt to the role easily despite her other work commitments, showcasing a “sense of true grace and poise.”
Zendaya on the cover of Elle’s Summer 2026 The Epic Issue
Credit: elle
The director told Elle that he sought Zendaya for the role of Athena because of her “iconic” grace.
“I mean, she’s literally playing a goddess; it’s a tall order. She’s a true movie star, but also an incredible actor,” he said.
Matt Damon, who plays Odysseus, the king of Ithaca, couldn’t help but agree.
Matt Damon in ‘The Odyssey’
Credit: Melinda Sue Gordon/Universal Pictures
“Chris is known for being very circumspect,” he said. “So when you do a take, it’s not like he says, ‘That was great.’ He’ll go, ‘Yep, good. Okay.’ And that is the equivalent of the greatest praise you could ever get.”
When it comes to Zendaya, things are different, though.
“There were takes where she did one thing, she did this amazing scene, and he said, ‘Cut.’ And then he went, ‘Perfect.’ And literally, Tom [Holland] and I were obsessed with this,” recalled Damon.
“She got a ‘perfect’? I’ve never even gotten a ‘great.’ She got a ‘perfect’? He and I bitched about it for the entire rest of the film,” said Damon. ” ‘Did you get anything today?’ ‘No, I got a ‘good’—moving on.’ ‘Yeah, me too.”
Damon further echoed Nolan’s sentiments, expressing that Zendaya had an “amazing ability” to “come in and really put herself in there and blow everybody away, and then just go back to shooting Euphoria.”
Zendaya for Elle’s Summer 2026 The Epic Issue
Credit: elle
In addition to Euphoria, The Drama, and The Odyssey, Zendaya fans can also see her in Spider-Man: Brand New Dayand Dune: Part Threelater this year.
Damon also complimented Zendaya and Holland — her fiancé — for being “very accomplished for how young they are.”
The Odyssey also stars Robert Pattinson as Antinous, one of Penelope’s persistent suitors; Jon Bernthal as Menelaus, Benny Safdie as Agamemnon, John Leguizamo as Eumaeus and Himesh Patel as Eurylochus, all players in the Trojan War.
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The Odyssey is in theaters on July 17.
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