[E-Daily Starin YUN GI BACK Reporter] “I’ll read the script first.”
The reactions of actors who received offers to star in director Christopher Nolan’s new film, *The Odyssey*, were mostly straightforward. Without asking any questions, they simply said, “I’ll do it.” Star-studded actors, including Matt Damon and Tom Holland, jumped on board based solely on Nolan’s name—before even reading the script.
But there was one person who stood out: Robert Pattinson. He said, “I want to read the script.” It was a reaction even Nolan hadn’t anticipated.

In a recent interview with GQ, Pattinson recalled the moment he received Nolan’s offer to star in *The Martian*. He expressed his excitement as if reading the script were a given, but Nolan’s response was unexpected. “You want to read it? Everyone else just said they’d do it,” Nolan replied.
For most actors, it’s natural to review the script before deciding whether to accept a role. However, with “The Odyssey,” the exact opposite scenario unfolded. This speaks to the absolute trust actors place in Nolan, who won both the Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Director for *Oppenheimer*. In fact, when his schedule for *Oddisey* clashed with that of *Spider-Man: Brand New Day*, Tom Holland went so far as to personally request a schedule adjustment from Sony in order to take the role in *Oddisey*.
Amid all this, only Pattinson followed the standard procedure of “reviewing the script.” That wasn’t because he didn’t trust Nolan, however. Pattinson had already worked with Nolan once before, appearing in *Tenet* in 2020. Ultimately, after reviewing the script, he signed on for *The Odyssey* and took on the role of Antinous, who courts Odysseus’s wife, Penelope, while Odysseus is away.
Although he scrutinized the script meticulously, his approach to developing the character was, as expected, “typically Pattinson”—quirky. Antinous is an arrogant and decadent figure who even covets the throne of Ithaca. To visually convey this vanity, Pattinson actively contributed ideas regarding the costume design. In particular, he even made the bold suggestion of wearing flashy fur undergarments and letting the fur peek out slightly from beneath his clothes. Although this wasn’t fully realized in the final film, Pattinson even joked, “Fur underwear—that’s ‘The Odyssey’ for you.” According to GQ, he also drew inspiration from characters like James Woods’ role in *Casino* while portraying Antinous.
The actor who was the only one to tell Nolan, “I’ll read the script first,” ended up coming up with bolder ideas than anyone else once filming began. This marks Pattinson’s second foray into Nolan’s world, following *Tenet*. And once again, he didn’t just hop on board—he made his presence felt.