The Odyssey Cast and Characters | Odysseus, Helen, Agamemnon, Penelope, Telemachus Actors and Relationship Guide

In Christopher Nolan's film The Odyssey, Matt Damon plays Odysseus, Anne Hathaway plays Penelope, and Tom Holland plays Telemachus. These three roles are listed exactly that way on the Rotten Tomatoes cast list, so the most-searched axis from the title is confirmed right here. On top of that, we'll organize Lupita Nyong'o's Helen and Benny Safdie's Agamemnon into a role table, and then break down the character relationships from the original Odyssey.

The first three roles appear on the Rotten Tomatoes cast list, and Nyong'o's Helen and Pattinson's Antinous are also confirmed on the same list. Safdie's Agamemnon and Nyong'o's dual role are marked as confirmed castings in The Hollywood Reporter's cast guide, while the remaining supporting roles are listed in the English Wikipedia cast list.

Lupita Nyong'o, Playing Helen and Clytemnestra at the Same Time

According to the industry outlet's cast guide, Lupita Nyong'o plays not only Helen but also Clytemnestra, the wife of Agamemnon. Helen is the queen of Sparta whose elopement sparked the Trojan War, while Clytemnestra is one half of the tragedy in which she murders her husband upon his return from the war.

It's easy to assume that Helen never appears in the Odyssey, but that's not the case. In Book 4 of the original epic, when Telemachus visits Sparta in search of news of his father, Helen—the wife of Menelaus—actually appears on stage, greeting the guests in person and conversing with them. In other words, she is indeed a separate figure from Odysseus's family, but she directly crosses paths with Telemachus's journey.

The story of Clytemnestra is only complete when viewed alongside Agamemnon. With one actress taking on both roles, the figure who sparked the war and the party to the tragedy of homecoming exist on screen with the same face. No official production explanation for this casting decision has been made public.

Benny Safdie's Agamemnon, the Story and Warning Left from the Underworld

Agamemnon, played by Benny Safdie, is the supreme commander of the Greek forces in the Trojan War. In the underworld scene of Book 11 of the Odyssey, he tells Odysseus directly about his own death—the story of how he returned home only to be murdered by his wife Clytemnestra.

This scene doesn't end with the story; it continues into advice. Agamemnon leaves Odysseus with a warning to the effect that even when he returns home, he should not let his guard down right away. This warning becomes one of the reasons Odysseus moves cautiously and in disguise even after returning to Ithaca.

However, which scenes Agamemnon appears in within the film, and how the underworld passage was translated to the screen, cannot be known from the casting information alone. What the media guide confirms is only the fact that Safdie took on this role.

Robert Pattinson's Antinous, the Figure Representing Ithaca's Present

Antinous, played by Robert Pattinson, is effectively the leader of the suitors who swarm around Penelope in the original epic. He leads the group that has camped out in the palace squandering the estate—the figure who torments the family left behind in Ithaca most harshly.

In terms of structure, if Agamemnon represents the past tragedy of war and homecoming, Antinous represents the conflict unfolding in Ithaca right now. He stands on the opposite side of the family axis that runs through the returning father, the waiting mother, and the son who sets out in search of answers.

The Odysseus Family Relationship Map, Based on the Original Epic

Odysseus is the king of Ithaca, the husband of Penelope, and the father of Telemachus. Book 1 of the original epic clearly establishes that Telemachus is Odysseus's son and Penelope is his mother and Odysseus's spouse.

While Odysseus has failed to reach home even after the Trojan War ends, Penelope deals with the suitors in Ithaca as she waits for her husband, and Telemachus sets out to find news of his father. These three form the family axis of the epic, while the couple Helen and Menelaus create points of contact with the story from a different place.

Even among the gods, positions are divided. Athena, played by Zendaya, is on the side that aids Odysseus's return, while Poseidon repeatedly obstructs his homecoming because of his son Polyphemus losing his eye. Polyphemus, played by Bill Irwin, is exactly that one-eyed giant.

Calypso, played by Charlize Theron, is the nymph who kept Odysseus trapped on her island, and Circe, played by Samantha Morton, is the sorceress who handled his crew with magic. Eumaeus, played by John Leguizamo, is the swineherd in Ithaca who never betrays his master to the end, and Menelaus, played by John Bernthal, is the king of Sparta and the husband of Helen.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Helen part of Odysseus's family?

No. Based on the original epic, Helen is a separate figure from the Odysseus–Penelope–Telemachus family, and she is the queen of Sparta paired with Menelaus. However, because she appears in person and converses when Telemachus visits Sparta in Book 4, while not family, they do meet within the story.

How does Agamemnon's story connect to Odysseus's return?

In the underworld scene of Book 11, Agamemnon tells Odysseus the story of being murdered by his wife Clytemnestra and leaves him advice to the effect that he should not let his guard down right away even upon returning home. This advice becomes one of the reasons Odysseus moves in disguise even after returning to his homeland. The couple's story itself can be explored in more depth in the story of Agamemnon.

Is the film's relationship map exactly the same as the original epic?

The basic framework, such as the family structure where Odysseus is Penelope's husband and Telemachus's father, and the relationship between Agamemnon and Clytemnestra, is grounded in the original epic. However, how the arrangement of specific scenes or additional adaptations is reflected on screen cannot be known from casting information alone. That's why it's more accurate to check roles through film materials and narrative relationships through the text of the Odyssey itself.

Why We Keep Roles and Mythological Relationships Separate

The statement "Zendaya helps Odysseus" is only half right. To be precise, Zendaya was cast as Athena, and in the original epic Athena is the one who helps Odysseus. If you mix up actors and characters, it becomes easy to assume, as in Helen's case, that a character who actually appears in the original epic never shows up at all.

So if the positions of Helen and other original characters are confusing, it's a good idea to first establish the relationships in the Greek mythology background guide. Overall film information and screening schedules can be found in The Odyssey film information.

To Sum Up

The core roles are Matt Damon (Odysseus), Anne Hathaway (Penelope), and Tom Holland (Telemachus), with Lupita Nyong'o in the dual role of Helen and Clytemnestra, and Benny Safdie as Agamemnon. Based on the original epic, the Odysseus family and Helen are separate figures, but Helen personally welcomes Telemachus in Book 4, and Agamemnon's death casts a shadow over Odysseus's return strategy. If you're curious about the full arc of the original, continue on to the Odyssey plot summary.