The Odyssey Star Mia Goth Gets Candid About Nervous First Meeting With Christopher Nolan
Mia Goth says meeting Christopher Nolan left her equal parts thrilled and nervous as they prepared to team on The Odyssey, recalling a tense, tightly guarded audition for the fantasy epic co-starring Matt Damon, Tom Holland, and more.
Christopher Nolan does not do casual, and Mia Goth just confirmed it. The 32-year-old is in his new fantasy take on The Odyssey, and her run-up to meeting him was equal parts dream-come-true and stomach-in-knots. Starry cast, tight security, some very Nolan set rules — the whole thing sounds intense in a good way.
The audition: excitement, nausea, and decoy pages
Goth told Josh Horowitz on the Happy Sad Confused podcast that she was so anxious on the drive to her audition at Universal that she felt physically sick. Classic case of the thing you want most also being the thing that makes you sweat through your shirt.
The secrecy was turned up to 11, even by big-studio standards. She was handed fake sides that had nothing to do with the real script, and she had to commit to the job before production would let her see what she was actually signing up for.
"I had to accept the job before I could even read the script and find out what the role was."
On set with Nolan: intimidating at first, then locked-in
Once cameras rolled, Goth says the first days felt overwhelming and surreal — Nolan is 55 now and still runs a very focused ship — but the vibe quickly shifted into something collaborative. Phones are banned, seats are scarce, and everyone is present. It sounds strict, but she says that approach keeps the energy sharp and makes the actors feel like the set is truly theirs to play in.
Who is she playing, and who else is in this?
Goth is Melantho, one of Penelope's handmaids, in Nolan's retelling of the ancient Greek epic. The cast is stacked, because of course it is:
- Matt Damon as Odysseus
- Anne Hathaway as Penelope
- Tom Holland as Telemachus
- Plus: Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron, and Lupita Nyong'o
The Odyssey is currently slated to hit theaters in July 2026.