You can always count on Robert Pattinson to bring something unexpected to a role. This, after all, is the guy who based his two Mickey 17 clones on
You can always count on Robert Pattinson to bring something unexpected to a role. This, after all, is the guy who based his two Mickey 17 clones on Ren and Stimpy, who transformed his voice completely to dub a cantankerous magic bird in The Boy And The Heron, and brought emo grit to Bruce Wayne in The Batman. And in The Odyssey – his second collaboration with Christopher Nolan, following Tenet – he’s relishing playing the villain. He takes on the role of Antinous, an antagonistic figure back in Odysseus’ home of Ithaca; who, hoping that our far-flung hero is out of the picture for good, begins scheming to take his place, vying for the attention of Odysseus’ wife, Anne Hathaway’s Penelope.
Safe to say, Odysseus and Penelope’s son Telemachus – played by Tom Holland – isn’t best pleased. Pattinson gets it. “I mean, he’s just the worst stepfather you could possibly have,” he grins of Antinous. This is his third time starring alongside Holland, after The Lost City Of Z and The Devil All The Time – and whenever the two pair up, it’s always in a film where Pattinson is going… well, weird. “I always end up doing these slithery things with Tom and I don’t know why,” he says, noting that The Odyssey is no different. “This was just a fun part to play: ‘I just want to be your daddy. I want to be your daddy. That’s all I want!’”
For all the taunting, Holland was pleased to be reunited with his regular co-star. “Having a familiar face and someone that I could share the screen with was a real safety blanket for me,” he explains. “I’m always eager to share scenes with Rob, because he just brings the best out of everyone.” And, by the sounds of it, we’re in for another thrillingly oddball Pattinson performance. “I admire his ability to take big swings and make them feel like the perfect decision for that character,” says Holland. Daddy’s home!
Read Empire’s full The Odyssey feature – going on set for two days; speaking to Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland and Robert Pattinson; spending time with Christopher Nolan in post-production; and much more – in the August 2026 issue, on sale Thursday July 2. Pre-order a copy online here – and choose one of three collectible covers. The Odyssey comes to cinemas from July 17.
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