Zendaya landed her role in Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey,’ but it was her husband Tom Holland who was the first to know

Zendaya is officially set to play the goddess Athena in the upcoming Christopher Nolan adaptation of The Odyssey, though she was completely unaware she was even being considered for the part. The actress recently shared on the Happy, Sad, Confused podcast that she was initially just thrilled for her husband, Tom Holland, who had already secured a role in the high-profile project, Deadline reported.

Holland is taking on the role of Telemachus, the son of Odysseus, and he played a pivotal part in connecting his wife to the director. During a meeting with Nolan, the filmmaker brought up the possibility of casting Zendaya. Holland explained the interaction to Access Hollywood, noting, “At my meeting with Chris he asked me a question. He said, ‘Would you be offended if I asked Zendaya to play Athena?’ I was like, ‘Why would I be offended?’ And then I asked him, ‘Do you want me to tell her.’ And he said, ‘Yeah.’”

This unique situation led to a memorable moment at home. The couple had actually read the script together the night before Holland met with the director, which Holland realized was likely a breach of the notoriously strict security measures Nolan maintains for his projects. Once he had the green light from the director to share the news, he went home to guide her toward the role.

It sounds like the casting process was a total surprise for her

Holland recalled the conversation, saying, “And I went home and I said, ‘You should read the script again.’ And she said, i already read it. And I said, ‘Just read it again, but read Athena really closely.’ And the little corners of her mouth [makes a smile on his own face]. It was amazing.”

Zendaya described the reveal as an incredible experience, especially given her long-standing admiration for the director. She noted that she was already on cloud nine for her husband, but the realization that she would be joining the production was a major highlight.

She told the podcast, “And then he came home and said, ‘I need you to read something.’ And I was like, ‘Is it that thing we were just reading the other night?’ And he was like [nods head], ‘But now read it thinking of this character [Athena].’ And I was like, ‘Shut up! You’re joking!’ It was pretty cool.”

The excitement is clearly mutual for the pair. Holland expressed his deep appreciation for the opportunity to be the one to deliver the news to his wife. He mentioned that he holds the director in high regard and knows how much the work means to her personally. “It was such a gift because I know how much she’s admired Chris. Interstellar is her favorite movie,” he told Access Hollywood. “I could never express to Chris how grateful I am to be able to give her that information.”