"I wanted to throw up": Mia Goth opens up about meeting Christopher Nolan for the first time

In an interview with Josh Horowitz on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Mia Goth talked about the extreme nervousness she experienced before auditioning for a part in Christopher Nolan's adaptation ofThe Odyssey.

She recalled-

“I remember driving over to Universal and being so nervous that I wanted to throw up. I tried to tell myself what a privilege it is to even feel this.”

Goth clarified that it seemed like a big step in her career to be able to collaborate with Nolan, whose films are known for their ambition, secrecy and critical praise.  

She was both excited and intimidated by the idea, having established a reputation for her tough roles in the A24 horror trilogy (X, Pearl and MaXXXine) and in Guillermo del Toro's recent film- Frankenstein as Lady Elizabeth alongside Oscar Isaac and Jacob Elordi.

The audition process was unusually secretive, with actors provided with only "dummy sides" which had the fictional scenes unrelated to the actual film, to protect the script. Goth described the experience, further saying-

“I had to accept the job before I could even read the script and find out what the role was. So that was a new process. So I said, ‘Yeah, I’m in.’ And then they gave me the script.”

She accepted the opportunity after doing well in the audition, although she was unaware of her role. She later learnt that, in the original epic, she will portray Melantho, Penelope's cunning handmaid who betrays her mistress and sleeps with a suitor, and is later executed in the epic.

Goth stated that she was better prepared for Nolan's demanding directing style which places a strong emphasis on no phones, limited chairs and total focus- thanks to her experience working on the massive production of del Toro's Frankenstein. She described her filming experience on The Odyssey set as-

 “completely overwhelming and totally surreal."

What is Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey all about?

The film is an adaptation of Homer's ancient Greek epic poem, following King Odysseus's arduous 10-year journey home to Ithaca following the Trojan War.

Matt Damon plays Odysseus- the resourceful hero who incurs the anger of Poseidon and encounters numerous mythical challenges including battles with the Cyclops, resistance to the Sirens' song, navigation past Scylla and Charybdis and encounters with the enchantress Circe.

Meanwhile in Ithaca, Penelope (Anne Hathaway) fends off persistent suitors through clever delays while their son Telemachus (Tom Holland) searches for news of his father.

At the end of the story, Odysseus returns in disguise, reunites with his family and exacts revenge on the suitors.

The large ensemble cast brings to life various gods, monsters and supporting characters from the myth. 

Nolan has described the project as a grand mythic action epic, captured entirely on IMAX film using practical effects and shot in countries like Greece, Italy, Morocco, and Iceland.

Filming took place from February to August 2025, marking Nolan's first venture into full-scale fantasy storytelling after his previous works rooted in historical or contemporary settings.

Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong'o, Charlize Theron, and Jon Bernthal are among the famous cast members of the film which reportedly has a $250 million budget.

Where to watch The Odyssey

On July 17, 2026 Universal Pictures will release Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey exclusively in theatres. It will be shown in both normal formats and IMAX.

Stay tuned for more such updates!