The Odyssey star Matt Damon can't believe Tom Holland's candid movie admission

So, picture this: you’re Tom Holland, on the global press circuit for Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, doing the rounds with Matt Damon. Standard stuff. Except, during one stop, the conversation takes a turn into classic film territory and Holland drops a bit of a bombshell—he’s never seen The Matrix. Yes, the 1999 sci-fi game-changer, and no, he doesn’t seem particularly ashamed about it, either.

Tom Holland Drops the Ball... Or Does He?

There’s something sort of bizarre about a proper Hollywood star, especially one in a Nolan film, admitting he’s never watched The Matrix. And the moment Holland owned up to it in the interview, Matt Damon apparently just stared at him, completely floored. Damon’s first reaction, after a bit of stunned silence, was—

'Are you kidding me?'

followed swiftly by a fit of laughter. Which, let’s be honest, is pretty much the response most people would have. Turns out, Holland doesn’t have any big reason for this omission; as he explained,

'I don’t know why I’ve never seen it. I know that I would love it, but it’s just never been a movie I’ve put on.'

Damon’s Wishful Thinking

Rather than having a go at Holland, Damon admitted he was a bit envious, actually. The logic: Holland gets to experience The Matrix for the first time—something the rest of us only wish we could do again. Damon also wondered aloud if the film would still have the same impact on someone watching it fresh in 2026, given that so many movies since have nicked bits from its playbook.

Favourite Films and Inspiration

While they were discussing cinema ‘greatest hits’, Damon brought up another all-timer for him: Primal Fear and more specifically, Edward Norton’s performance in it. Apparently, Norton’s turn was a big inspiration for Damon and Ben Affleck when they were putting together Good Will Hunting back in the day. Not exactly a minor influence.

The Cast, The Press Tour, and That Classic Film List

• Tom Holland: Will soon be seen in Nolan’s The Odyssey, but has somehow never managed to watch The Matrix.
• Matt Damon: Equally amazed and a bit jealous of Holland’s chance to see it for the first time. Admits he always wished he’d been in The Matrix himself.
• The Big Inspirations: Damon says Edward Norton in Primal Fear was a real eye-opener for him creatively—fuel for writing Good Will Hunting.

A Little Context on The Matrix

It’s hard to overstate what The Matrix did for the sci-fi genre. Since 1999 it’s set the benchmark for action, visual effects, and the whole ‘what if reality isn’t real’ trope that basically half of Hollywood has riffed on ever since. It’s still gathering new fans even now, which makes Holland’s blind spot slightly hilarious.

This all went down during the ongoing press push for The Odyssey, which had just wrapped its glitzy premiere event. Damon and Holland are heading for their own spot on the big screen when Nolan’s latest lands in cinemas on 17 July.