Christopher Nolan was full of praise for Samantha Mortonperformance in the upcoming epic “The Odyssey”, comparing its impact to that of Big health book in “The Dark Knight”.
Morton was at a loss for words after receiving such praise, saying she felt “so honored and privileged” to have worked with Nolan.
The director, who has faced criticism from many quarters over his casting choices, said the negative comments were “irrelevant” and that he had learned not to worry about them.
Samantha Morton wins rare comparison with Heath Ledger
Christopher Nolan revealed that Samantha Morton, who plays the enchanting goddess Circe in “The Odyssey,” delivered a performance so electric that it drew 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’ impact on the film to that of Heath Ledger as the Joker in the 2008 film “The Dark Knight.”
“It was a huge movie, and it’s someone who comes in and changes the dynamic. In a weird way, the movie lived or died because of this character. She was the fulcrum,” Nolan told the outlet.
He further revealed that he structured his filming schedule around Morton’s availability to ensure she could appear in the film.
“I have always admired Samantha’s work; she brings great thought to her role. There are no limits to her performance,” he continued.
“After one of his takes, the team gave him a round of applause,” Nolan added. “I was talking with Emma [Thomas] afterwards, and she remembered that the last time this had happened was with Heath Ledger on The Dark Knight.
Nolan’s praise leaves Morton overwhelmed
In Homer’s classic Greek poem, on which the film is based, Circe is the fearsome witch who turns Odysseus’ crew into pigs before ultimately guiding him on his journey home.
In a conversation with PEOPLE about the role, Morton hailed Nolan as a “master” and said it was an honor to appear in the film.
“Christopher Nolan is obviously a master at what he does, and for me it’s completely life-changing to have the opportunity to progress in my craft because I’m always learning,” she told the outlet at the film’s London premiere on Monday, July 6.
“I’m 49 years old, I’m still learning, I’m still improving. And I felt so honored and privileged to be in a situation where I could do this with a master.”
During an appearance on British news show “This Morning” alongside Himesh Patel, the two-time Oscar nominee said the team’s reaction moved her to tears.
“It was amazing, and for Christopher to give me this opportunity – I’m 49 years old and you don’t know these roles will come to you one day,” 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 set to hit theaters and IMAX screens around the world on July 17.
The film boasts an all-star cast including Matt Damon, Tom Holland and Zendaya, among others.
The story follows Ulysses (played by Damon) on a grueling decade-long journey to Ithaca after the Trojan War. Along the way, he encounters mystical beings and powerful gods who seek to prevent his return.
When asked what a normal day on set was like with an A-list filmmaker like Nolan and the film’s all-star cast, Morton told PEOPLE that “there are no days off.”
“You’re there for the rest of your life, in a good way. It changed your life from the moment I got the call to meet Christopher Nolan to getting the role of Circe, to filming, to coming home when I saw it for the first time for this special night tonight,” she explained.
Christopher Nolan dismisses ‘The Odyssey’ backlash as ‘irrelevant’
Ahead of the film’s London premiere earlier this week, Nolan faced heavy criticism from multiple quarters regarding his casting and creative choices.
Elon Musk was among those who criticized the filmmaker, accusing him of chasing awards by casting Nyong’o as Helen of Troy, a move that divided social media users.
The film’s use of American accents and modern English dialogue also irritated some critics, as did the armor design.
However, Nolan played down the negative reactions ahead of the release in a recent interview with The Telegraph, calling the criticism “irrelevant.”
“It’s part of the territory,” he noted. “But look, these conversations that happen before people see the movie – they’re still irrelevant, because no one knows yet what the movie actually is.”
Christopher Nolan reveals the lesson he learned from Batman
Elsewhere in the interview, Nolan explained that he always knew that bringing such an epic story to life would provoke strong reactions, but said he learned not to be bothered by them.
“Remember, I spent ten years of my life dealing with Batman. When I came on ‘Begins,’ the writers and artists had been working on this beloved character for almost 65 years, and there were a lot of restless thoughts going around about what he represents,” he explained.
“And what I’ve learned over the course of this trilogy is that you can’t worry about all that. What you have to do is honor the original text by interpreting it in the strongest possible way,” Nolan said.
He added that the outcome ultimately depended on how much fans of the original work enjoyed the film, while emphasizing that it was his responsibility to put “the best possible version on screen.”
“All I can do is make the best film I can, in the most sincere way possible. It’s very different from the way anyone else would do it, but that’s adaptation,” he added.