Christopher Nolanthe filmmaker is praised for mind-bending films and epic dramas, dominating the box office and global markets – but without a phone. The 52-year-old has distanced himself from the allure of mobile devices and acts remarkably without them. “The Odyssey” leads Matt Damon: confirmed the rumors and opened up about the process the director uses to contact people when needed. Here’s a closer look at Matt Damon explaining the process of contacting Christopher Nolan.Previously, the Academy Award-winning director revealed in a 2023 interview with The Hollywood Reporter that he did not communicate via text or email. Three years later, Matt Damon confirmed Nolan’s unconventional way of contacting an actor when he needed to. Recalling how he first understood Nolan intended to cast him as Odysseus, the 55-year-old actor said the director’s wife, Emma Thomas, texted him to ask if he was free to call, per PEOPLE. The British film producer gives a “heads-up” when Nolan calls anyone. “And then you get a phone call from a nondescript number, because he’s just picking up a line at Universal Studios,” said the actor in the interview. Plus, even Nolan doesn’t know which number to call.
Matt Damon reveals the call from Christopher Nolan
Matt Damon and Christopher Nolan are talking about ‘The Odyssey’ a few months after the filmmaker won two Academy Awards for ‘Oppenheimer.’ “He called, and we chatted for 10 or 15 minutes,” the actor said, before adding, “It was only six months after ‘Oppenheimer’ went through the Oscars and all that.” The ‘Good Will Hunting’ actor believes that Nolan will take at least a year to consider getting behind the camera. He further recalled, “So I just thought we were catching up, which we did. And then he said, ‘Yeah, I’m thinking about going back to work.’ And I went, ‘Wait, already?'” Nolan did not write the characters of Odysseus and Penelope with Matt Damon and Anne Hathaway in mind. “What I’ve found over the years is when you have an actor in mind – and obviously it’s very tempting, especially when we’ve worked with great people in the past, it’s tempting to drop it while you’re thinking about the script – but for me that always limits what the characters can do.
About ‘The Odyssey’
Directed by Christopher Nolan, ‘The Odyssey’ revolves around the perilous journey of a Greek king who faces obstacles such as sea monsters, curses, manipulation, and the consequences of collective actions while returning to his home in Ithaca from the Trojan War. Featuring Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, and Zendaya, the epic adventure film hits theaters on July 17, 2026.
