‘The Odyssey’: Samantha Morton Calls Circe Casting “A Second Chance To Be Seen By The Wider World” As Hollywood Roles Dried Up

When it was announced that British actress Samantha Morton (“Minority Report,” “The Walking Dead”) would be portraying Circe, we were stoked to see the actress in big movies again, and from how Morton tells it, it was an emotional moment getting the call from writer/director Christopher Nolan that she would be part of “The Odyssey.”

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Morton has played a different version of the Greek mythology sorceress (much less operatic and seductive in nature) in just 10 minutes, but she certainly made a huge impact with that limited screen time, with many calling her performance a highlight of the film. As her tragic take on the witchy character highlights the brutality of men, not just war. Sexual violence is heavily alluded to as the reason for her actions and use of magic to protect herself from strange men arriving on her island.

During a new interview with Variety, Morton shared her experience landing the part and her thoughts on what the film/performance was exploring, including the impact of sexual assault.

“When I got the call, I started to cry,” Morton recalled after feeling that roles had been drying up for her in Hollywood. “Then we had a get-to-know-you chat, and I read the script. But I didn’t know if it would go any further. So when he called and said, ‘Would you like to do it?’ I was blown away. He could have anybody on the planet, and he chose me…As you get older as an actress, roles like this are just few and far between. I still work all the time, but predominantly in independent films or on television.”

“My family is a military family. War is complicated. Men are complicated. Our relationships with men as wives, sisters, daughters are complicated. I drew on that. And there are people in my family that have been sexually assaulted and raped, and I thought of that as well…[Nolan is] so hands-on…Chris just made sure I had everything I needed and the time I needed to do what I had to do. There was an unbelievable sense of freedom and trust, and then just the gentlest, kindest suggestions and guidance to get me where I had to go…It’s just so concise and pure. It felt like a rebirth. I got to do what I do best for the best. To get the role felt like a second chance to be seen by the wider world.”

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Nolan’s latest pic is having a huge moment at the global box office, earning over $264 million (projected to hit a landmark billion-dollar mark, impressive for an R-rated release), and the impressive feature already has early Oscar/awards season buzz for actors like Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, John Leguizamo, and we wouldn’t rule out Morton getting some love for Circe as well.

“If your peers feel that you’re worthy of an accolade that means something, but I’ve never been somebody that chased that kind of gratification,” Morton said when asked about the potential Oscar potential alongside attending the ceremony next year. “I just love what I get to do for a living.” If you weren’t already aware, Morton had previous Oscar nominations for “Sweet & Lowdown” and “In America,” so it wouldn’t be her first rodeo if she ultimately landed a Best Supporting Actress nod next year.