Tom Holland says working on The Odyssey gave him a "level of confidence as an actor" he's never had before

Not only is Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey one of the most successful movies of the year, but it has marked a pivotal point in star Tom Holland's career, who says he now has a new level of confidence and ambition to take on even bigger projects.

"I've been an admirer of Chris since I can remember, so having the opportunity to work with him and have his approval and sit in his house and watch his movie and to get a pat on the back was just the perfect way for me to start whatever it is I'm doing next," said Holland at a recent The Odyssey Q&A in London, shared online by Twitter user @Woow_Lucas. "It's confidence and ambition to see what else is out there for me."

The actor, who plays Odysseus' son Telemachus in the epic, added, "He's given me a level of confidence as an actor that I don't think I had before, and I'm very grateful that that is something I can take away from this. I think going into my next project with this sense of achievement is newfound confidence in what I think I can do."

The movie adapts Homer's ancient Greek poem of the same name, following Matt Damon as King of Ithaca Odysseus on his perilous decade-long journey home after the Trojan War. Back in Ithaca, Holland's Telemachus fights off his mother's suitors who are eyeing up his father's throne. But when he is visited by a strange traveller who tells him that his father is alive, Telemachus sets in motion a plan for a safe reinstatement.

This was certainly a different role for Holland, who we are used to seeing suited up as the MCU's Spider-Man. The Odyssey opened to rave reviews, earning a whopping $1.8 billion worldwide in total. The movie was so in demand that it sold out IMAX screens for months. But it's not just the success of the movie that has had an effect on its cast.

The project was shot on location around the world, from remote caves in Greece to the open sea, where Nolan got through 400 miles of film. Damon has opened up about how difficult yet joyous the whole experience was, saying he didn't sleep for days but just rolled with the punches, as he felt that he would never make a movie like it again.

For more, check out our ranking of the best Christopher Nolan movies and keep up with all of the new movies heading your way.