LOADING...
'My mouth was...frozen': Zendaya on 1st day of 'The Odyssey'
Zendaya reveals battling Iceland's chill while filming 'The Odyssey'

'My mouth was...frozen': Zendaya on 1st day of 'The Odyssey'

Jul 07, 2026
12:48 pm

What's the story

Hollywood actor Zendaya recently revealed that she had a tough time delivering her lines on the first day of filming Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey. The shoot took place in Iceland, where the freezing temperatures left her unable to speak properly. "It was particularly cold. It was in Iceland. My mouth was just frozen. There is nothing coming out." "My mouth would not move. Literally. It came out like, 'Blah blah blah.' So embarrassing," she told the Happy Sad Confused podcast.

Experience

Zendaya grateful for opportunity to work with A-list actors

Despite her initial struggles, Zendaya was grateful for the opportunity to work with an A-list cast, including Matt Damon, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong'o, Anne Hathaway, and her partner Tom Holland. "It's such a pleasure and a gift to be able to share scenes with people you admire," she said. "Part of you has to compartmentalize to a degree. Lock in we're working."

Director's approval

Nolan's praise for Zendaya

Director Nolan recently praised Zendaya's performance in The Odyssey. He told Fandango, "She was always perfect. Always perfect." Holland, Damon and Hathaway also acknowledged that Zendaya was the only actor to receive such a compliment from their Oscar-winning director. "Still waiting for mine," Holland quipped about the praise, while Damon added it "was a topic of discussion."

Advertisement

Co-star's struggle

Holland on his 1st day of shoot

Holland also had a tough time on his first day of filming. He called it one of the most daunting experiences of his career. He told Fandango, "I think my first day, for me, was probably one of the most daunting experiences of my career just being a part of a movie of this scale." The Odyssey is set to release in theaters on July 17.

Advertisement