After His Transformation Pictures Went Viral, Matt Damon Revealed That He Got Down To His High School Weight For “The Odyssey”

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I feel hungry just writing this.

It’s 2026, which means we’re drawing ever closer to the release of The Odyssey, Christopher Nolan’s massive film adaptation of Homer’s classic tale.

A warrior wearing a helmet with a decorative spine design is shown from behind, promoting Christopher Nolan's film "The Odyssey" releasing July 17, 2026

If the premise wasn’t already exciting enough, the film — which is due to release on July 17, mark your calendars — has maybe the most star-studded cast you could think of: Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Zendaya, Charlize Theron, Robert Pattinson, and Lupita Nyong’o, just to name a few.

A well-dressed man with a beard is followed by others in a professional setting

Throughout filming in 2025, details about the movie adaptation were shrouded in mystery. But one thing that wasn’t kept under wraps was Matt’s physical transformation.

A person sits in a chair during an interview, wearing a casual black polo shirt

Yep, we all remember where we were when those set photos of a shirtless Matt shooting with Zendaya dropped online last March. Unfortunately, we can't include the pictures, but you can view them here. For context, Matt is starring as Odysseus, and Z is playing the Greek goddess Athena.

Man in ancient warrior attire with a helmet and armor walks through a forest, followed by others. Beach visible in the background

Matt’s ripped physique was the talk of the town for months to follow — even his BFF Ben Affleck had something to say about it, telling Entertainment Tonight: "I have to respect this, it's a lot of hard work...but he's getting it done."

Two men on a SXSW event carpet; one in a polo shirt, the other in a suit with an open collar. They pose together against a backdrop with logos

As we mentioned, there has been a lot of secrecy surrounding The Odyssey, but with the release date fast approaching, Matt has opened up about his physical transformation for the major role.

Man with a beard in a casual white shirt, posing on a red carpet

Appearing on the Jan. 7 episode of Jason and Travis Kelce’s New Heights podcast, the 55-year-old fielded compliments from the hosts, who said they’d seen the photos of him looking “pretty yoked up” while on set.

Three men with beards speak into microphones on a podcast. The man in the center wears headphones and a hoodie

“Yeah, I was in really good shape,” he replied. “I lost a lot of weight. [Christopher Nolan, the director] said he wanted me, like, lean but strong. It's a weird thing.”

Person in a blue sweater with earbuds, sitting in front of a bookshelf during a video call

Providing some insight into his weight loss, Matt said he stopped eating gluten at his doctor's advice. He combined this with “a lot of training and a really strict diet,” and eventually wound up weighing less than he had since his teens.

Person in a black suit and white shirt at a public event

“I used to walk around between 185 and 200 pounds. And I did that whole movie at 167 pounds,” he revealed. “I haven’t been that light since high school.”

A person in a suit with a white shirt smiles at an event

Comparing the journey to Travis and Jason’s experiences as NFL athletes, Matt said it’s just “part of your job.” “It feels almost like a season, I would imagine, what that feels like for you guys where you're preparing,” he said. “It's just part of your day… It's like you get really routinized about it and kind of build your day around all that stuff. That's kind of the physical side of getting ready.”

Person wearing earphones, sitting in a home office with books and decor visible, appears to be in a virtual meeting or video call

And as for the current state of his diet, it sounds like the gluten-free lifestyle has stuck. “I’m done. I'm gluten-free everything,” he said. “I found a gluten-free beer. It's been so long since I've had gluten, I can't tell if it's good or not. So that's a good sign.”

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