Los Angeles, California - Christopher Nolan revealed some spicy details about Matt Damon's arm tattoo, and why he chose to get it before appearing in the director's latest film, The Odyssey.
Nolan, whose new film The Odyssey is set for release in theaters on July 17 and has received favorable early reviews, revealed the spicy tidbit during a Tuesday appearance alongside Damon on Amy Poehler's Good Hang podcast.
"I had a moment with him at his first wardrobe fitting because we'd be fitting all the supporting cast – all the guys who play his crew and some younger actors and everything," Nolan said. "And they all come in, and they've all got tattoos."
He explained that tattoos are "a nightmare for a period film" because "it means hours of make-up."
"You have to cover all that up and then put the costume on – and then rain and wind and the costume will rub it away," he said.
When it came to Damon, however, Nolan thought he'd be in luck as he believed the actor to be tattoo-less.
"He takes his shirt off at the fitting, and he's got a f**king tattoo," he said. "I was like, 'Not you as well!' Like, what?"
Nolan explained that the tattoo was a "tasteful" collection of the names of Damon's children as well as his wife, Luciana Barroso. The actor did have a very reasonable explanation for the whole thing, though, which made the situation a tad more acceptable to the director.
"He said to me, 'Well, if I'm to be perfectly honest, I thought my bare bicep days were over,'" Nolan explained. "And I said, 'Okay, fair enough. The truth is, I think they're just beginning.'"