Anne Hathaway has nothing but praise for Tom Holland after playing his onscreen mother in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey.
People reported that Hathaway called Holland her “dream son” during a joint interview for the film.
Just Jared reported that Hathaway made the comment while discussing her role as Penelope opposite Holland as Telemachus.
Hathaway Said She Hopes Her Children Grow Up Like Holland
The comment came when Hathaway was asked how she brought “mother energy” to the Nolan film. Hathaway, who is expecting her third child with husband Adam Shulman, said she hopes all of her children grow up to be as wonderful as her onscreen child.
Holland was sitting beside her when she made the remark, and he nearly spat out his drink while laughing. Hathaway then added, “Tom is like a dream son”.
People reported that Hathaway and Shulman are already parents to sons Jonathan, 10, and Jack, 6. Her praise for Holland connected the film’s mother-son dynamic to her own real-life experience as a parent.
Their Roles Come From Homer’s Epic
In The Odyssey, Hathaway plays Penelope, the wife of Odysseus and mother of Telemachus. Holland plays Telemachus, while Matt Damon stars as Odysseus, the Greek hero trying to return home after the Trojan War.
The casting gives Hathaway and Holland a clear family dynamic inside the story. Penelope and Telemachus spend years waiting for Odysseus while pressure builds around their household, making the mother-son relationship one of the emotional threads of the epic.
Hathaway Praised the Set’s Close Energy
People reported that Hathaway praised the script, the actors and Nolan while also emphasizing how much she enjoyed working with Holland and Damon.
Entertainment Weekly reported that Hathaway described the production as grounded in camaraderie and mutual respect. She also said the cast wanted to be worthy of appearing in a Christopher Nolan movie.
Holland also praised Hathaway during the interview, saying she was supportive and acknowledging that he felt intimidated by the scale of the cast and crew.
The Movie Has a Major Ensemble Cast
The Odyssey is one of Nolan’s biggest ensemble projects. Along with Hathaway, Holland and Damon, People reported that the cast includes Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron, Mia Goth, Lupita Nyong’o, Elliot Page, John Leguizamo, Travis Scott and more.
The film is scheduled to arrive in theaters on July 17, 2026.
