Charlize Theron Teases “Odyssey” Role and Working with 'Friend' Matt Damon in His 'Part of a Lifetime' (Exclusive)
Charlize Theron Teases “Odyssey” Role and Working with 'Friend' Matt Damon in His 'Part of a Lifetime' (Exclusive)
Raven BrunnerThu, April 23, 2026 at 3:24 PM UTC
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Charlize Theron; Matt Damon.Credit: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty; Arturo Holmes/WireImage -
Charlize Theron exclusively tells PEOPLE about reuniting with Matt Damon in Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey
“Matt and I have been friends for 25 years, so it was really lovely to not just get to work with him but to see him in this part,” she says
The Apex actress and Damon previously starred in the 2000 sports drama The Legend of Bagger Vance
Charlize Theron has a special reunion in The Odyssey.
The actress, 50, exclusively tells PEOPLE about reuniting with Matt Damon in the star-studded adaptation of Homer's Greek epic poem while at the premiere of her new Netflix movie, Apex, on Wednesday, April 22 in New York City.
“I only work with Matt,” she teases of her role in The Odyssey, which sees her portraying Calypso to Damon's Odysseus.
Charlize Theron and Matt Damon at the 24th American Cinematheque Annual Gala on March 27, 2010 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles.Credit: Eric Charbonneau/Le Studio/Wireimage
Theron says she's only in the movie about Odysseus's journey home after the Trojan War “for a very, very small amount of time,” but she appreciated reuniting with her The Legend of Bagger Vance costar.
“Matt and I have been friends for 25 years, so it was really lovely to not just get to work with him but to see him in this part, which is really the part of a lifetime,” she says.
"He's such a good actor and he's so deserving of it, so I'm very excited for him,” the Oscar winner continues.
The actress and Damon, 55, starred in the late Robert Redford's 2000 sports drama, The Legend of Bagger Vance. In the movie, based on Steven Pressfield's 1995 book of the same name, the two play former lovers who reunite while preparing for a high-stakes golf match.
Charlize Theron and Matt Damon in 'The Legend of Bagger Vance.'Credit: David James/Newsmakers
The Odyssey, written and directed by Christopher Nolan, will also see Theron and Damon in an intimate relationship as Calypso is a mythological nymph who detains the king of Ithaca for several years.
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The anticipated summer flick also stars Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, John Leguizamo and Lupita Nyong'o.
Holland spoke highly of working with Damon in the movie, telling GQ, “This was a very tough movie and no one worked harder than Matt did.”
He said Damon “always came to set with a smile on his face and he was gracious and he was so kind to the crew. And I think he really set the tone for everyone as to how we were going to collectively make this film."
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Theron's latest role in the Apex sees her as a rock climber in the Australian wilderness who finds herself being hunted. She stars in the Baltasar Kormákur-directed movie with Taron Egerton.
Addressing the audience ahead of the premiere screening, Theron said, ”Thank you to everybody. We had an incredible team. Netflix, I love making movies with you guys."
Charlize Theron attends Netflix's 'Apex' premiere on April 22, 2026 in New York City.Credit: Jamie McCarthy/Getty
She told Kormákur, "I hope I get to make so many movies with you," adding, "This is my favorite movie I've ever made. It took a man from Iceland to drag me through the outback in Crocs. Who did everything before I did, took care of me, made sure everything was fine, but also kicked my ass and broke my body."
Apex drops April 24, 2026 on Netflix. The Odyssey is out July 17, 2026 in theaters.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
