The actress says she found out about playing Athena through her husband and costar Tom Holland, not through Christopher Nolan himself.
Zendaya is playing Athena, one of the most commanding figures in The Odyssey, yet she says the news of her own casting arrived in a way that had nothing to do with a traditional audition. Speaking on the ‘Happy, Sad, Confused’ podcast, the actress explained that she had no idea she was even in contention for the part. She learned about it from her husband and costar Tom Holland, who was already locked into the project.
At the time, Zendaya was simply thrilled for Holland after he booked a role in Christopher Nolan’s sprawling adaptation of Homer’s ancient epic. Holland plays Telemachus, the son of Odysseus, and the couple had been reading through his script together at home in the days before his first meeting with Nolan. It was during that meeting that the director asked Holland directly how he would feel about Zendaya joining the cast as Athena.
Tom Holland’s side of the story
Holland later gave his own account of the moment to Access Hollywood, describing how meaningful it felt to be the one who got to share the news with his wife. He pointed to her long standing admiration for Nolan, noting that Interstellar has long been one of her favorite films, and said being able to deliver that information felt like a genuine gift. According to Holland, Nolan asked whether he would be bothered by the idea of Zendaya playing Athena, and Holland’s answer was immediate enthusiasm rather than hesitation. Nolan then gave him the green light to break the news himself.
Rather than announcing it outright, Holland asked Zendaya to reread the script, this time paying close attention to Athena’s part. Zendaya has said she was floored once it clicked what he was actually telling her, and Holland has described watching her reaction as one of his favorite moments connected to the entire project.
Zendaya on joining The Odyssey
Zendaya has been candid about how unexpected the whole situation felt, saying she never anticipated becoming part of the film herself and felt fortunate that it worked out the way it did. The casting adds another chapter to a partnership that started nearly a decade ago on the set of Spider Man Homecoming, where the pair first met before going on to appear together in three more Marvel films as Peter Parker and MJ.
The Odyssey now marks the fifth project to bring them together onscreen, and the first since the couple publicly confirmed their marriage. Nolan’s retelling of Homer’s classic has assembled an enormous ensemble beyond its two young leads, with Matt Damon taking on the title role of Odysseus and Anne Hathaway among the supporting cast. The film has already generated significant buzz on the festival and press tour circuit ahead of its release.
What comes next
With The Odyssey set to hit theaters on Friday, July 17, anticipation continues to build around Nolan’s take on one of literature’s oldest adventure stories. For Zendaya and Holland, the film offers something beyond another shared credit. It represents a return to the screen together as a married couple, built on a casting story neither of them expected going in.
