Zendaya recalls that her first day on the set of The Odyssey left her “frozen.” The upcoming movie marks her official debut in a Christopher Nolan film.

Zendaya recalls a freezing first day filming Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey

Zendaya is part of the ensemble cast of Nolan’s The Odyssey. Ahead of its theatrical release, the star recalled her first day of filming in Iceland.

In the Happy Sad Confused podcast, she told the hosts, “Here’s the thing. I had my lines and I wanted to have them so down. I psyched myself out a little bit. It was particularly cold. It was in Iceland. My mouth was just frozen. There is nothing coming out. My mouth would not move. Literally. It came out like, ‘Blah blah blah.’ So embarrassing.” (via Variety)

Tom Holland, who will play Telemachus, the son of Odysseus, was the one who told Zendaya she had been cast in the film. She will play the role of the goddess Athena.

In the same podcast, she shared more, saying, “I think just showing up in any situation like this… It was such a pleasure and a gift to be able to share scenes with people you admire. Part of you has to compartmentalize to a degree. Lock in, we’re working. But I was so moved and excited to be there and wanted to do my best work,” a mindset that helped her complete the filming in the cold weather.

Although the Spider-Man star thought her first day on set was “embarrassing,” the director had other views when it came to her acting, calling her “perfect.” In an interview with Fandango, he stated, “She was always perfect. Always perfect. I mean, she’s literally playing a goddess; it’s a tall order. She’s a true movie star, but also an incredible actor.”

Nolan’s upcoming film also stars Anne Hathaway, Matt Damon, Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron, Lupita Nyong’O, Elliot Page, and more. It follows Odysseus’ 10-year journey home to Ithaca after the Trojan War, where political tensions rise as suitors compete to seize his throne.

The Odyssey will be out in theaters on July 17, 2026.