"He's Just Fantastic"- Matt Damon and Ben Affleck Spent 20 Minutes Gushing Over Robert Pattinson in 'The Odyssey'
aAt this point, Robert Pattinson receiving praise for his acting is hardly a plot twist. The actor has become something of a favorite subject for Hollywood praise, but Matt Damon and Ben Affleck apparently had an especially long appreciation session. Damon revealed that the two spent around 20 minutes talking about Pattinson’s performance in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey during a phone call.
When a performance inspires that much conversation between two Oscar-winning actors, there is clearly something worth paying attention to.
Matt Damon and Ben Affleck rave over Robert Pattinson
Matt Damon has heard plenty of people talk about Robert Pattinson, but Ben Affleck apparently had a particularly enthusiastic review after watching Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey. During the Academy Museum Cast Reunion on November 14, 2026, Damon recalled Affleck spending a considerable amount of time discussing Pattinson’s performance, particularly the way the actor embraced the more unlikable and vulnerable aspects of his character. Damon eventually summed up his own assessment with a rather emphatic verdict.
“He’s just fantastic,” he declared.
The reunion followed a special 70mm screening at the Geffen Theater, bringing together Damon, Tom Holland, Zendaya, Charlize Theron, John Leguizamo, Elliot Page, Samantha Morton, Lupita Nyong'o, and Himesh Patel to revisit the film and share behind-the-scenes stories. During the conversation, Damon went on to explain what made Pattinson particularly compelling to watch.
He highlighted the actor’s instinct for finding ways to make his character even more cowardly and unlikeable. Affleck was especially taken by those choices, while Damon found the performance fascinating for its unpredictability and the layers Pattinson brought to the role.
“He goes, Rob had all of the weight and heft and power of Christopher Nolan’s storytelling, like coming down on him. And the way he did it, it was like watching a guy run into an avalanche,” Damon said while admiring Pattinson's performance.
Even while discussing their Quentin Tarantino collaboration, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck found time to sing Robert Pattinson’s praises, adding to The Odyssey cast’s growing admiration for his work in The Odyssey.
The Odyssey cast's admiration for Robert Pattinson
If Matt Damon and Ben Affleck spending 20 minutes discussing Robert Pattinson was not enough to make the point, Hollywood has hardly been quiet about the actor’s work in The Odyssey. His co-stars have been just as forthcoming with their admiration, with Tom Holland describing Pattinson as a “real safety blanket” on set and crediting him with bringing out better performances in their shared scenes. That is quite the endorsement from a scene partner.
Anne Hathaway has also praised Pattinson’s commitment to transforming himself into the film’s sleazy, manipulative antagonist, while Mia Goth offered a particularly telling glimpse into the creative freedom he enjoyed. Nolan himself has spoken warmly about the cast’s dynamic and trusted Pattinson to develop Antinous’s unsettling cadence. Between his co-stars’ admiration and his director’s confidence, Pattinson seems to have made quite an impression in Ithaca.
Do you agree with Matt Damon and Ben Affleck's praise for Robert Pattinson's performance in The Odyssey? Let us know in the comments!
Edited By: Hriddhi Maitra
