Getting into superhero shape is one thing, but dropping down to your teenage weight at 55 is a whole different challenge. That’s exactly what Matt Damon did for his latest role, and he recently shared exactly how he pulled it off.
The actor got into the best shape of his life for Christopher Nolan’s upcoming epic, The Odyssey. While speaking on Jason and Travis Kelce’s New Heights podcast on January 7, Damon revealed the intense diet and training that helped him reach 167 pounds, a weight he hadn’t seen since high school.
The Director’s Vision and a Major Weight Drop
The transformation began with a clear instruction from director Christopher Nolan. For the role of the Greek hero Odysseus, Nolan wanted Damon to look a specific way.
“He said he wanted me like lean but strong,” Damon told the Kelce brothers. “It’s a weird thing.”
To achieve this look, Damon underwent a significant physical change. He explained that his typical walking-around weight is between 185 and 200 pounds. For the entire filming of The Odyssey, he brought his weight down to a lean 167 pounds. This meant losing more than 20 pounds to get into character.
The Gluten-Free Switch and Strict Routine
The cornerstone of Damon’s weight loss was a major dietary change made on his doctor’s advice. He completely cut out gluten.
“I literally, just because of this other thing I did with my doctor, stopped eating gluten,” Damon said.
This shift away from gluten was combined with a rigorous fitness plan. He described the process as “a lot of training and a really strict diet”. Having a clear goal and a professional trainer was key. Damon noted that trainers are adaptable and can design a program for any objective, calling it “just part of your job”.
He compared the intense preparation for a film role to how professional athletes like the Kelces train for their season, building their entire daily routine around the regimen.
Past Transformations
Interestingly, the change seems to be permanent for Damon. He told the podcast hosts that he has continued his gluten-free lifestyle even after finishing the movie.
“I’m done. I’m gluten-free everything,” he stated. “I found a gluten-free beer. It’s been so long since I’ve had gluten, I can’t tell if it’s good or not. So that’s a good sign.”
This isn’t the first time Matt Damon has altered his body for a role, but his methods have evolved. In 1996, for the film Courage Under Fire, he famously followed an extreme “chicken diet,” eating only chicken breasts to lose a drastic amount of weight very quickly. He later admitted that approach was dangerous and made him sick, with a doctor warning he could have caused permanent heart damage. He said he wouldn’t go that far again.
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About ‘The Odyssey’ and Its Cast
The role that prompted this latest transformation is in one of the most anticipated films of the year. The Odyssey is Nolan’s big-screen adaptation of Homer’s classic Greek poem. The film is described as a “mythic action epic” and was shot using new IMAX film technology.
Damon stars as Odysseus, the legendary king of Ithaca who embarks on a long, perilous journey home after the Trojan War. The film features an all-star cast including Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Zendaya (who plays the goddess Athena), Charlize Theron, Robert Pattinson, and Lupita Nyong’o.
A teaser trailer released last month gave fans a first look at Damon as Odysseus and glimpses of the epic story, including the famous Trojan Horse. The Odyssey is scheduled to arrive in theaters worldwide on July 17.
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