Matt Damon Says He and Tom Holland Envied Zendaya’s ‘Perfect’ Praise From Christopher Nolan

Matt Damon says he and Tom Holland were jealous of the praise Zendaya received from director Christopher Nolan while filming The Odyssey.

In an interview with ELLE, Damon explained that Nolan is usually very reserved on set and rarely gives strong compliments. According to Damon, Nolan typically responds to scenes with simple comments like “good” or “okay,” which actors treat as major praise.

But Zendaya received a different reaction during one scene. Damon said Nolan called her performance “perfect,” something he says he and Holland had never heard from the director before. Damon joked that the two actors complained about it for the rest of filming.

The Odyssey marks Damon’s third collaboration with Nolan. Damon stars as Odysseus, while Zendaya plays Athena, the goddess who guides him. Holland plays Telemachus, Odysseus’ son.

Nolan also praised Zendaya, calling her “a true movie star” and “an incredible actor.” He said she brought “grace and poise” to the demanding production.

The film, based on Homer’s epic poem, will be released on July 17 and also stars Anne Hathaway, Charlize Theron, Lupita Nyong’o, Jon Bernthal, Benny Safdie, and Robert Pattinson.