Matt Damon "Screamed for Hours" on the "The Odyssey" Set to Wear Out His Voice: Pattinson Calls Him "an Absolute Psychopath"

Robert Pattinson says he still hasn't fully processed Matt Damon's prep method on the set of Christopher Nolan's 'The Odyssey.' Speaking to Variety, Pattinson said Damon would "scream for hours" before scenes to capture the aging, weathered voice of his character, Odysseus.

"On one hand, I'm trying to have a normal conversation with him," Pattinson says. "On the other, the guy is constantly screaming at the top of his lungs, trying to wear his voice out. At one point I turned to him and said, 'You are an absolute psychopath.' But it works — when the camera rolls, his voice carries the exhaustion of a man who's been at sea for years."

Universal Pictures' 'The Odyssey' is Nolan's first mythological epic, shot on IMAX 65mm. Alongside Damon (Odysseus) and Pattinson, the sprawling cast includes Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Zendaya, Charlize Theron, and Lupita Nyong'o. The film's release date has been set for July 17, 2026.

Damon's "voice-burning" technique actually taps into a long tradition of method acting, from Daniel Day-Lewis to Christian Bale. According to Pattinson, it's not just a "trick": in Nolan's long single-take scenes, Damon genuinely speaking in an exhausted, hoarse voice produces a texture that digital post-production simply can't replicate.