'There was no special treatment': Matt Damon recalls Christopher Nolan's grueling 'The Odyssey' shoot

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Actor Matt Damon has reflected on the demanding experience of filming Christopher Nolan's 'The Odyssey,' describing the ambitious adaptation as one of the most physically challenging projects of his career.

The 55-year-old actor said there was "no special treatment" on set, explaining that the grueling production brought the entire cast and crew together through shared hardships while portraying Odysseus became a rare, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Matt Damon says Christopher Nolan gave no one special treatment on 'The Odyssey' set

Despite being one of Hollywood's biggest stars, Damon said there was no preferential treatment while filming 'The Odyssey.'

"There was no special treatment," he said, adding, "If you're out on a boat in the middle of the ocean and you get caught in a storm, you get wet with everybody else."

He explained that everyone endured the same conditions regardless of status.

"Nobody's getting a hot beverage that you're not getting. You know what I mean? Everybody's on equal footing, including Chris, who was just as cold and wet as everybody else throughout the whole thing."

According to Damon, that shared experience strengthened the bond among the cast and crew.

"So that made it feel like we were really all in it together, because we were," he said. "I do feel really bonded with everybody who was on that movie, cast and crew, because it was so challenging for everyone."

Reflecting on the production, he said, "Every single day of filming that movie stands out because it felt more like an expedition than a film."

He explained that capturing the scenes required extraordinary effort from everyone involved.

"It was so difficult to get the shots that we got, the way that we got them, that it really required every single person on that cast and crew to just completely max out day after day after day," he said. 

Matt Damon calls playing Odysseus his most rewarding role

Damon also said he left the experience feeling "really lucky and grateful" to have worked with such a committed team because "it never could have worked if everybody hadn't completely just pushed themselves beyond what they thought they could do."

He expressed confidence in the finished film, saying, "I'm really excited for people to see it. It's worth their money for what it took for us to make it. You'll be getting your money's worth."

Previously, in a profile discussing the movie, he also reflected on how uncommon it is for an actor in his mid-50s to lead a major epic.

"There aren't a lot of people in their mid-50s as protagonists in these epics," the Oscar winner said, adding, "I looked at this like the last movie I'd ever do." 

Although Damon is not retiring, he viewed 'The Odyssey' as a unique opportunity, particularly because it relied heavily on practical filmmaking rather than green screens. He described portraying Odysseus as the most rewarding experience of his Hollywood career.

"Movies like this are not getting made anymore. To do this without a green screen, the way that David Lean would have done it, I don't know anybody, with the exception of Chris, that's even trying to do that," Damon said.