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Matt Damon Reveals Why He Had Female Stunt Double for ‘Odyssey’ Scene: “Greatest Arms I’ve Ever Seen”
Matt Damon has revealed that a female stunt performer served as his double for a key scene in Christopher Nolan's action fantasy film "The Odyssey", explaining why his arms appeared so muscular on screen. Speaking on the "Happy Sad Confused" podcast with host Josh Horowitz, Damon said the revelation was in response to praise for his physique, which he admitted he couldn't entirely take credit for.
Damon explained that during forced-perspective filming of scenes involving the giant Laestrygonian warriors, stunt performers of varying heights were used to create the illusion of scale, with his own double being a woman under five feet tall who he described as having "the greatest arms I've ever seen." He recalled meeting her in the catering tent to thank her for her work, adding that while most of the arms seen in the finished film were his own, he wanted to credit her contribution. The film, based on Homer's epic and starring an ensemble including Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Zendaya and Robert Pattinson, opened on 17 July 2026 and took more than $264 million globally on its opening weekend.
In short
- Matt Damon had a female stunt double for a forced-perspective giant scene
- He praised her arms as "the greatest" he'd ever seen
- "The Odyssey" earned over $264 million in its opening weekend
Explained simply
"The Odyssey" is Christopher Nolan's action fantasy film based on Homer's epic poem, featuring an ensemble cast including Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Zendaya and Robert Pattinson. Released in July 2026, the film has achieved substantial box office success globally.
During production, filmmakers used stunt performers of varying heights to create the visual illusion of giant warriors through forced-perspective filming. Matt Damon worked with a female stunt double in several scenes where this technique was employed to make her appear much larger on screen.
Stunt performers undertake physically demanding and often dangerous work that is rarely visible to audiences and frequently goes uncredited, despite being essential to action film sequences. Acknowledgement of their contributions highlights the collaborative labour behind what viewers see on screen.
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