Tom Holland reveals the biggest life lesson he learned while filming 'The Odyssey'

Tom Holland has emotionally reflected on his role in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, revealing the impact it's had on his life and ‘confidence’.

Now, it’s safe to say that bagging a role in what was arguably the biggest film of 2026 is an opportunity that any actor would have snatched up in a heartbeat.

And it was no different for Holland, 30, who stepped into the role of Telemachus, the son of Odysseus (Matt Damon) and Queen Penelope (Anne Hathaway), for the retelling of the major Homer epic poem, which hit cinemas on 17 July.

Speaking to Variety at a screening of the movie on Thursday (12 November), the Spider-Man actor was quizzed on what he’s taken away from the experience.

He explained: “I’d probably say it’s confidence and an ambition to see what else is out there for me.

“I’ve been an admirer of Chris since I can remember, and to have the opportunity to work with him and to have his approval, and to sit in his house and watch his movie and to get a pat on the back, for me, just was like the perfect way for me to start whatever it is that I’m doing next.”

Holland revealed that playing the role of Telemachus has given him 'confidence and an ambition' (Universal Pictures)

Holland gushed: He’s given me a level of confidence as an actor that I don’t know if I had before, and I’m very grateful that that is something that I can take away from this.”

The star said that after learning a lot from not only Nolan, but his fellow actors and crew members, he would be going into his next project ‘with this sense of achievement and this newfound confidence in what I think I can do’.

Holland praised: That is what Chris and Emma [Thomas] do so well, is they really champion their actors.”

He also admitted he’s a fan of IMAX - a cinema system that was created to capture and present moving images with an extremely high amount of visual detail and clarity, and was how most audiences watched The Odyssey.

Holland told the outlet: “The beauty of the IMAX camera is that it almost like looks into your soul. You know, like you have stage acting, and then it kind of goes to film acting, and there’s a difference. And then I think there’s even a bigger difference to IMAX acting.”

However, there is one downside, as the star hilariously admitted: “I was very upset about my pimple opening the movie. It literally is the opening scene. First time you see me, it’s like right there.”

We’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for that the next time we watch.

Perfect timing too, as Nolan has just revealed that after its record-breaking cinema run, the movie is confirmed to be released digitally and on physical media on 17 November.

As reported by Screen Rant, while a streaming release date has not been set yet, since it is a Universal movie, it’s estimated that the movie will land on NBCUniversal's streaming service, Peacock.

The smash hit film not only became the highest-grossing IMAX movie of all time but also Universal's biggest worldwide film release in history, beating Jurassic World, which earned $1.67 billion.

So, whatever Holland’s next project is, he sure has a lot to live up to!