Zendaya says Tom Holland played a part in her own casting in The Odyssey. Speaking at the film’s New York City premiere on July 14, she told E! News that Holland had already received the script at home before she got the call.
The actress said she took a brief look at it on his advice, admitting she “kind of cheated a little bit.” Zendaya was later cast as the Greek goddess Athena in Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of Homer’s epic poem.
She described the film as “extraordinary” and “so moving,” and said adapting a work like this seemed nearly impossible. Still, she added that if anyone could do it, it would be Nolan.
Before her own casting was revealed, Zendaya had already spoken about how excited she and Holland were when he landed the role of Telemachus. The film also stars Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Charlize Theron and Lupita Nyong’o and opens in theaters July 17, according to E! News.
