Director Christopher Nolan has compared actress Samantha Morton's recent on-set achievement to Heath Ledger's iconic performance in The Dark Knight.
During production of his upcoming epic The Odyssey, Morton earned a spontaneous standing ovation from the crew after one of her takes.
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Nolan noted that such an occurrence had not happened on his sets since Ledger portrayed the Joker in 2008.
Morton's Role as Circe
Morton plays the goddess Circe in the film adaptation of Homer's classic Greek poem. Nolan described her character as a critical piece that bound the entire narrative together.
"In some weird way, the film lived or died over that character. She was the fulcrum," Nolan told the L.
A. Times.
The director designed the production schedule around Morton's availability, as she was his immediate choice for the role.
"Samantha Morton is somebody I had wanted to work with for a very long time.
She was absolutely who I had in mind as soon as I finished the script for Circe," he said.
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Parallel to Heath Ledger
After Morton's scene, the crew broke into applause.
Nolan discussed the reaction with his wife and producing partner, Emma Thomas, who recalled a similar moment from The Dark Knight.
"She remembered that the last time that had happened was with Heath Ledger on 'The Dark Knight,'" Nolan said.
Thomas shared the same anecdote with Empire Magazine: "When she finished her scene, she got a round of applause from the cast and crew.
That's something we hadn't seen since Heath Ledger on The Dark Knight."
About The Odyssey
The Odyssey stars Matt Damon as Odysseus and Anne Hathaway as Penelope. The film is shot entirely with IMAX cameras and runs 2 hours and 53 minutes.
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Universal Pictures will release it globally on July 17, 2026.
