Matt Damon reveals Christopher Nolan doesn’t have a phone: ‘You get a call from a nondescript number’ |

Christopher NolanThe filmmaker is acclaimed for mind-bending films and epic dramas, dominating the box office and the global market – but without a phone. The 52-year-old has distanced himself from the lure of mobile devices and functions remarkably well without them. ‘The Odyssey’ lead Matt Damon confirmed the rumors and opened up about the process the director uses to reach out to people when needed. Here’s a closer look at Matt Damon explaining the process of contacting Christopher Nolan.Previously, the Academy Award-winning director revealed in a 2023 interview with The Hollywood Reporter that he doesn’t communicate via text or email. Three years later, Matt Damon confirmed Nolan’s unconventional way of approaching an actor in need. Recalling how he first realized Nolan wanted him to play Odysseus, the 55-year-old actor said the director’s wife, Emma Thomas, texted him asking if he could call for free. The British film producer gives a “heads-up” when Nolan goes to call someone. “And then you get a phone call from a nondescript number, because he’s just picking up a line at Universal Studios,” the actor said in the interview. Also, Nolan doesn’t even know which number to call from.

Matt Damon reveals Christopher Nolan’s call

Matt Damon and Christopher Nolan talk about ‘The Odyssey’ months after the filmmakers won two Academy Awards for ‘Oppenheimer’. “He called, and we chatted for 10 or 15 minutes,” the actor said, before adding, “It was only six months after ‘Oppenheimer’ went through the Oscars and all that.” The ‘Good Will Hunting’ actor assumed that Nolan would take at least a year to think about being behind the camera. She also remembered, “So I thought we were going to catch up, which we did. And then he blurted out, ‘Yeah, I’m thinking about going back to work.’ And I went, ‘Wait, already?’ Nolan did not write the characters of Odysseus and Penelope with Matt Damon and Anne Hathaway in mind. “What I’ve found over the years is if you have an actor in mind – and obviously it’s very tempting, especially when we’ve worked with great people before, it’s tempting to cast it as you’re thinking about the script – but for me that always limits what the characters can be. Because then you’re writing what you’ve seen an actor do before,” he said.

About ‘The Odyssey’

Directed by Christopher Nolan, ‘The Odyssey’ revolves around the perilous journey of a Greek king who encounters obstacles such as sea monsters, curses, manipulation and collective action as he returns to his home in Ithaca from the Trojan War. Starring Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson and Zendaya, the epic adventure film hits theaters on July 17, 2026.