Matt Damon and Tom Holland apparently bonded on ‘The Odyssey’ set over one very specific problem.
Damon opened up about the funny behind-the-scenes moment in a new Elle interview, where he discussed working with Zendaya and Holland on Nolan’s highly anticipated film.
Zendaya Got The Nolan Praise Damon Never Heard
According to Damon, Nolan is not exactly generous with big emotional praise on set. Damon explained that Nolan usually keeps his feedback extremely restrained.
“So when you do a take, it’s not like he says, ‘That was great,’” Damon said. “He’ll go, ‘Yep, good. Okay.’ And that is the equivalent of the greatest praise you could ever get.”
Then Zendaya got a different response. Damon said there were takes where Zendaya did something so strong that Nolan called cut and said, “Perfect.”
That one word apparently sent Damon and Holland into a spiral. “Literally, Tom [Holland] and I were obsessed with this,” Damon said. “She got a ‘perfect’? I’ve never even gotten a ‘great.’ She got a ‘perfect’?”
Damon joked that he and Holland complained about it for the rest of filming. “Did you get anything today?” he recalled them asking each other. “No, I got a ‘good’, moving on.”
Damon Praises Zendaya And Holland Together
Despite the mock jealousy, Damon had nothing but praise for both stars.
He pointed out that Zendaya and Holland are still in their 20s, yet have already built major careers across some of Hollywood’s biggest franchises.
“Look, you forget, she and Tom are very young actors and very accomplished for how young they are,” Damon said.
He also praised them as a couple. “I absolutely adore her and Tom together, and they deserve each other, they’re the two loveliest people,” Damon said.
Holland and Zendaya have been linked for years after starring together in the ‘Spider-Man’ franchise. They confirmed their relationship in 2021 and have been engaged since 2025, though marriage rumors continue to follow them.
Zendaya’s Huge Year Is Getting Even Busier
Zendaya is heading into one of the busiest stretches of her career.
Along with ‘The Odyssey’, she is also starring in ‘The Drama’ and the final season of ‘Euphoria’. She also has three major films ahead: ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’, ‘The Odyssey’, and ‘Dune: Part Three’. “It’s going to be a long year, but what’s great is that I’m really proud of everything,” Zendaya told Elle. “I just really love my job.” Still, she admitted she may need a break after the run is over.
For now, though, Zendaya has one more thing to brag about: she apparently got the rare Christopher Nolan “perfect” that left Damon and Holland jokingly bitter for the rest of the shoot.
