Christopher Nolan was full of praise for Samantha Morton’s performance in the upcoming epic “The Odyssey,” comparing her impact to that of Heath Ledger in “The Dark Knight.”
Morton was at a loss for words upon receiving such high praise, saying she felt “so honored and privileged” to have worked with Nolan.
The director, who has come under fire from several quarters over his casting choices, said the negative comments were “irrelevant” and that he had learned not to worry about them.
Christopher Nolan revealed that Samantha Morton, who plays the enchantress-goddess Circe in “The Odyssey,” delivered such an electric performance that it prompted a round of applause from the crew on set.
In a recent interview with the Los Angeles Times, the award-winning filmmaker compared the actress’s impact on the film to that of Heath Ledger’s performance as the Joker in the 2008 movie “The Dark Knight.”
“This was a massive film, and she is someone who comes in and changes the dynamic. In some weird way, the film lived or died over that character. She was the fulcrum,” Nolan told the news outlet.
He further revealed that he structured his filming schedule around Morton’s availability to ensure she could appear in the film.
“I’ve always admired Samantha’s work; she brings so much depth of thinking to her role. There are no limitations on her performance,” he continued.
“After one of her takes, the crew gave her a great round of applause,” Nolan added. “I was talking with Emma [Thomas] afterward, and she remembered that the last time that had happened was with Heath Ledger on The Dark Knight.”
Nolan’s Praise Leaves Morton Overwhelmed
In Homer’s classical Greek poem, on which the film is based, Circe is the formidable sorceress who transforms Odysseus’s crew into swine before ultimately guiding him on his journey home.
In a conversation with PEOPLE about the role, Morton praised Nolan as a “master” and said it was an honor to appear in the film.
“Christopher Nolan is obviously a master of what he does, and for me, it’s utterly life-changing to get the moment to progress my craft because I’m always learning,” she told the news outlet at the movie’s London premiere on Monday, July 6.
“I’m 49 years old, I’m always learning, I’m always getting better. And I felt so honored and privileged to be in a situation where I could do that with a master.”
During an appearance on the British news show “This Morning” alongside Himesh Patel, the two-time Academy Award nominee said the crew’s reaction moved her to tears.
“It was incredible, and for Christopher to give me that opportunity — I’m 49, and you don’t know that those roles are ever going to come your way again,” she said. “It was like, ‘Thank you for giving me this.’”
Samantha Morton Says ‘The Odyssey’ Changed Her
Nolan’s “The Odyssey” is shaping up to be one of the biggest films of the summer and is scheduled to hit theaters and IMAX screens worldwide on July 17.
The film boasts a star-studded ensemble cast that includes Matt Damon, Tom Holland, and Zendaya, among others.
The story follows Odysseus (played by Damon) on a grueling decade-long journey home to Ithaca following the Trojan War. Along the way, he encounters mystical beings and powerful gods who seek to prevent his return.
Asked what a normal day on set looked like with a renowned filmmaker like Nolan and the film’s star-studded cast, Morton told PEOPLE that “there are no off days.”
“You are on for the rest of your life, in a good way. It’s life-changing from the minute I got the call to meet Christopher Nolan to getting the role of Circe, to filming it, to going home when I first saw it for this special night tonight,” she explained.
Christopher Nolan Dismisses ‘The Odyssey’ Backlash As ‘Irrelevant’
Before the movie premiered in London earlier this week, Nolan faced heavy criticism from several quarters over his casting and creative choices.
Elon Musk was among those who slammed the filmmaker, accusing him of chasing awards by casting Nyong’o as Helen of Troy, a decision that divided social media users.
The film’s use of American accents and modern English dialogue also irked some critics, as did the armor design.
However, Nolan downplayed the pre-release backlash in a recent interview with The Telegraph, calling the criticism “irrelevant.”
“Comes with the territory,” he noted. “But look, these conversations that happen before people see the film — they’re always irrelevant, because no one having them knows what the film actually is yet.”
Christopher Nolan Reveals The Lesson He Learned From Batman
Elsewhere in the interview, Nolan opened up about how he had always known that bringing such an epic story to life would provoke strong reactions, but said he had learned not to be bothered by them.
“Remember, I spent ten years of my life dealing with Batman. When I came on ‘Begins,’ writers and artists had been working on this beloved character for almost 65 years, and a lot of freighted thoughts were out there about what he represents,” he explained.
“And what I learned over my time on that trilogy is you can’t worry about any of that at all. What you have to do is honor the original text by interpreting it in the strongest way you personally can,” Nolan said.
He added that the outcome ultimately depended on how much fans of the original work enjoyed the movie, while stressing that the responsibility was on him to put “as good a version of it on screen” as possible.
“All I can do is make the best film I possibly can in the most sincere way. It’s very different from how anyone else would do it, but that’s what adaptation is,” he added.
