Robert Pattinson explains why he became Tom Holland's 'safety blanket' on 'The Odyssey'

"I've loved every minute of working with Rob and I've always felt like I've left the set a better actor," Holland said

Robert Pattinson has revealed why Tom Holland described him as a "safety blanket" during the making of Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, with the younger actor crediting his co-star for helping him navigate one of the film's most important relationships.

During Entertainment Weekly's Around the Table discussion with director Christopher Nolan and cast members Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway and John Leguizamo, Holland revisited comments he made earlier this month about Pattinson's importance during production.

"When did this happen?!" a surprised Pattinson joked after hearing Holland repeat the description.

Holland explained that the pair had already built a strong working relationship after previously appearing together in The Riot Club, The Lost City of Z and The Devil All the Time, making Pattinson someone he naturally leaned on during the ambitious production.

"Rob and I have made three movies together now, all very different," Holland said. "I've loved every minute of working with Rob, and I've always felt like I've left the set a better actor because he raises the stakes of every scene."

The Spider-Man star said filming The Odyssey carried added pressure because his character, Telemachus, helps establish the emotional stakes for Matt Damon's Odysseus at the very beginning of the story.

"What was really exciting for me, and also really daunting, was that we get to establish the stakes of the movie for Matt's journey right at the beginning. I felt the weight of that pressure."

In Nolan's adaptation of Homer's epic poem, Holland plays Telemachus, the son of Odysseus, whose search for his missing father forms the emotional backbone of the story. Pattinson portrays Antinous, the ruthless leader of the suitors attempting to marry Penelope and seize the throne of Ithaca.

Because their characters share one of the film's central conflicts, Holland said he was initially nervous about making their rivalry convincing.

"The friction between our characters is so important for my entire journey. I was really nervous about trying to make sure that that felt authentic and scary enough for my character to make this desperate decision to go on this journey."

Looking directly at Pattinson during the discussion, Holland explained why learning he had been cast immediately eased those concerns.

"I knew when I found out that you were playing Antinous that I could relax because you're so good at being a dickhead."

The remark prompted laughter from Pattinson and the rest of the panel, with the Batman star taking the compliment in good humour.

The Odyssey boasts one of Christopher Nolan's biggest ensembles to date, starring Matt Damon as Odysseus, Anne Hathaway as Penelope, Zendaya as Athena, John Leguizamo as Eumaeus, Benny Safdie as Agamemnon, Samantha Morton as Circe and Charlize Theron as Calypso.

The highly anticipated epic arrives in cinemas on July 17, 2026.