While most people would not say no to Christopher Nolan, Jon Bernthal ended up being one of the rare few who did. Following the successful release of ‘The Odyssey’, the actor opened up about some behind-the-scenes moments that occurred during the shoot, including refusing Nolan’s request to stop during one of the scenes.Read ahead to know more about what happened on the sets of ‘The Odyssey’ that made the ‘Punisher’ actor say no.
Jon Bernthal explains why he refused to stop even after Christopher Nolan requests
During one of his latest interviews with The Hollywood Reporter, the actor shared some major behind-the-scenes details from the sets of ‘The Odyssey’. During the interview, he revealed that while most of the scenes and stunts were taxing on the actors, one of them, including the Trojan Horse, was quite brutal to film in the Moroccan desert. However, he persevered and finished the scene, even saying no to Christopher Nolan’s face.The actor shared that the scene specifically required the horse to be submerged in water. Bernthal was one of the cast members who had to be submerged neck deep in the water with it. The water present at the scene was initially meant to be heated; however, when the main scene was shot, it was as cold as ice, which visibly affected the actor. However, he refused to quit, even though Nolan requested that he postpone the scene and get out of the water. Instead, he told the famed director no and shouted, “You ain’t breaking me, Chris. There’s nothing you can do to break me.”The actor further opened up about doing everything you can on set, adding, “The world, now especially, is so fraught with ‘You don’t want to be embarrassed,’ ‘You don’t want to strike out,’ ‘You don’t want to get too many nos,’ ‘You don’t want to be rejected,’ and God do I think that’s a mistake. That is the opposite of living. Go bold. Embarrass the f*** out of yourself. Look for nos. Look for people to reject you.”
Matt Damon says that this moment with Jon Bernthal inspired everyone else on set
Jon Bernthal’s refusal to quit was so inspiring that, according to lead actor Matt Damon (who plays Odysseus, the King of Ithaca), it inspired everyone else on set. In the same interview, Damon detailed the matter and shared, “That was the first example of somebody pushing past what they thought they could do. Nobody in that horse was ever going to complain for the next five months about anything because of what we saw.” He added that “It set the tone for the rest of us and how we needed to show up for each other and for the movie.”The ‘Interstellar’ director also talked highly of Bernthal, and added that “There was always another level to go to, another level to unpack. And he just kept working it and working it all the way through production with whatever time I could give him. He really wants to know that he’s lifted every rock. He examines every possibility for the character and what he could bring to it.”
About ‘The Odyssey’
The film is set around the classic tale from Homer, and follows the King of Ithaca and how his wit won the 10-year-long Trojan War. However, when he wishes to return home to his wife and his son, one mistake turns everything around and results in literal gods going against him to try and deter him from his path. The film chronicles his 20-year journey back home, where he faces off against obstacles, supernatural creatures, and gods. ‘The Odyssey’ is now available for watching in theatres worldwide and was released to the public on July 17.