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Samantha Morton on Her Electrifying Performance as Circe in Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’: ‘It Felt Like a Rebirth’
Samantha Morton has spoken about playing the sorceress Circe in Christopher Nolan's blockbuster adaptation of "The Odyssey", a role she says felt like "a rebirth" after fearing such major Hollywood opportunities had passed her by. Though her screen time is brief, the roughly ten-minute sequence in which Circe transforms Odysseus's men into pigs has been singled out as a standout moment in the film, with Morton reshaping the character from Homer's seductive temptress into a woman using magic to guard against sexual violence, drawing on experiences within her own military family.
The 49-year-old actress, an Oscar nominee for "Sweet and Lowdown" and "In America" whose career began at age 12, said she had increasingly found herself confined to independent film and television work in recent years, making Nolan's personal invitation to join a blockbuster alongside Matt Damon especially significant. She praised Nolan as a hands-on but trusting director who gave her freedom to shape the performance, while noting practical challenges of filming with the production's bulky, 300lb Imax cameras. "The Odyssey" recently opened with $17.6 million in preview takings.
In short
- Samantha Morton discusses her acclaimed Circe role in Nolan's "The Odyssey"
- She reworked Circe as a trauma survivor rather than a temptress
- Nolan personally invited her; filming used heavy Imax cameras throughout
Explained simply
Samantha Morton is a 49-year-old British actress with a career spanning nearly four decades, beginning as a child performer. She has been nominated for Academy Awards and has worked extensively in both film and television. In recent years, she has taken predominantly independent film and television roles rather than major studio projects.
Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey" is a major film adaptation of Homer's ancient epic poem about a warrior's prolonged journey home. The film features established actors such as Matt Damon and opened with strong box office revenue, taking £17.6 million in preview screenings. One of the characters in the original story is Circe, a sorceress who encounters the protagonist and his men during their voyage.
In this adaptation, Morton portrays Circe as a character who uses magic for protection rather than the seduction presented in Homer's version of the tale. The role marks Morton's return to blockbuster filmmaking after focusing on smaller independent and television projects in recent years.