Tom Holland Discusses Imax Filming Challenges with Historian Tom Holland

Washington DC, United States Jul 13, 2026 ALN: Tom Holland, actor and star of 'The Odyssey,' was interviewed by Tom Holland, his namesake historian, on the podcast 'The Rest is History.' In this engaging conversation, the actor opened up about the challenges of filming the first-ever entirely Imax movie.

Holland, who portrays Telemachus in Christopher Nolan's blockbuster adaptation of the Greek epic, described the experience as leaving him "nowhere to hide." He explained, "Imax is a very different beast. There's a huge difference between acting onstage to acting on screen. And then there's an even bigger difference between acting on screen and acting on Imax."

He elaborated on the unique demands of Imax filming, stating, "You just can't hide anything in Imax. The resolution is so good. There are no secrets. There's nowhere to hide." This format requires a more subtle approach to performance, as it can easily become overwhelming.

There are practical reasons why Imax filming poses such challenges for actors. Imax cameras utilize large-format film, and a single magazine holds only about three minutes of footage at standard speed before needing to be swapped. Additionally, these cameras are notoriously loud, complicating dialogue recording. To address this, Imax developed a new, quieter generation of cameras specifically for Nolan's productions, making an all-Imax film possible for the first time.

This interview marked the first meeting of the two Tom Hollands, whose shared name has been a source of humor, especially between historian Holland and his podcast co-host, Dominic Sandbrook. During their discussion, they humorously recreated the iconic "Spider-Man pointing at Spider-Man" meme, with historian Holland referring to the actor as "the real Tom Holland." He also joked about how the actor's fame has made it harder for him to Google himself.

Their shared name recently caused a stir online when historian Holland found himself embroiled in a dispute with Elon Musk after defending 'The Odyssey' against critics who labeled it as "woke." Musk's ambiguous comments about Tom Holland left many unsure whether he was referring to the historian or the actor.

Despite the online chaos, the interview was recorded prior to the Musk incident. Historian Holland praised the film, calling it "the best adaptation" he had seen. At one point, he asked the actor if the film contained elements of the superhero genre, to which Holland responded, "Epic is not exclusive to swords and sandals and ancient text."

He concluded by expressing admiration for Nolan, stating, "What I love about Chris is he lives to entertain. This movie is challenging and has topical themes that are very relevant in today's society. But his main focus is not to educate; it's to entertain."