Director Christopher Nolan is world-renowned for avoiding CGI in favor of practical visual effects. In his epic film adaptation of The Odyssey, one of the movie’s most impressive visual illusions relied on a surprising secret weapon: Devyn Dalton, a 4ft 6in (137cm) Canadian female stunt actor who doubled for lead star Matt Damon.
How Forced Perspective Replaced CGI in ‘The Odyssey’
In Homer’s ancient tale, King Odysseus (played by Damon) encounters the Laestrygonians—a terrifying race of man-eating giants. Rather than creating these behemoths with digital effects, Nolan used forced-perspective camera tricks directly on set.
To pull off the scale illusion:
- The production replaced the 5ft 10in Matt Damon with 4ft 6in Devyn Dalton for specific shots.
- Dalton was placed opposite 7-foot-tall stunt performers dressed as the giants.
- The dramatic height difference allowed Nolan to film the towering scale entirely in-camera, creating authentic, terrifying visual standoffs without relying on green screens.
Matt Damon Praises Stunt Double’s Exceptional Physicality
Appearing on an episode of the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Matt Damon opened up about the grueling nature of shooting The Odyssey, describing it as the hardest project of his career. He gave special praise to Dalton’s physical conditioning and stunt work.
“My double was a woman, a female stunt performer who had the greatest arms I’ve ever seen,” Damon revealed, noting her crucial role in facing off against the 7ft tall giant actors for key poster and action shots.
A Decade-Plus Career Built on High-Octane Action
The 34-year-old stunt actor and former dancer made her professional stunt debut in 2009. Over the last decade and a half, Dalton has built an incredible Hollywood resume working alongside the industry’s top filmmakers:
- Collaborating with Legends: Before working with Christopher Nolan, Dalton worked directly with Steven Spielberg on the 2016 fantasy film The BFG.
- Motion-Capture Expertise: She portrayed the ape Cornelia in 2011’s Rise of the Planet of the Apes, mastering complex physical performance capture.
- Voice Acting Talent: Beyond physical stunt work, Dalton has lent her voice to animated features including Barbie in Rock ‘N Royals and Netflix’s sci-fi film The Electric State.
With The Odyssey taking the global box office by storm, Dalton’s contribution highlights how practical stunt execution and dedicated physical performers remain the backbone of cinema’s biggest blockbusters.