Matt Damon got down to high school weight for 'Odyssey'
What's the story
Hollywood actor Matt Damon recently revealed that he lost a lot of weight for his upcoming film, The Odyssey. Speaking on the New Heights podcast, he shared that director Christopher Nolan wanted him "lean but strong" for the role of Odysseus. As a result, Damon dropped to 167 pounds or 76kg during filming, his lightest weight since high school.
Weight loss journey
Damon's strict diet and training regimen for 'The Odyssey'
Damon, who usually weighs between 84kg and 91kg, attributed his weight loss to a strict diet and intense training. He revealed that he stopped eating gluten on his doctor's advice, which helped him shed the extra pounds. "So it was a lot of training and a really strict diet," he added.
Training comparison
Damon compared his preparation to NFL training
Damon likened his preparation for The Odyssey to the training of NFL players while speaking to his hosts, NFL players Jason and Travis Kelce. He said, "When I do that or when I do the Jason Bourne movies or whatever, it feels almost like a season...where you're preparing." "It's like you get really routinized about it and kind of build your day around all that stuff. That's kind of the physical side of getting ready."
Post-film diet
Damon is now on a gluten-free diet
Now that The Odyssey is done, Damon has stuck to his gluten-free diet. He even found a gluten-free beer and joked about it saying, "It's been so long since I've had gluten, I can't tell if it's good or not. So that's a good sign." The film also stars Zendaya, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong'o, and Charlize Theron. It releases in theaters on July 17, 2026.