‘The greatest arms I’ve ever seen’: Matt Damon’s muscular female stunt double Devyn Dalton

A 35-year-old stuntwoman is one of the great unsung heroes of Christopher Nolan’s new blockbuster The Odyssey – standing in for Matt Damon and displaying what the actor called “the greatest arms I’ve ever seen”.

Canadian Devyn Dalton was the Hollywood star’s stunt double in a pivotal scene in the film where Odysseus (Damon) and his men are confronted by the Laestrygonians, giant armoured cannibals.

In order to make Damon and his crew appear dwarfed by the group of goliaths, the actors doing stunts needed to be small. Dalton is 4ft 6in (137cm) and her rippling, muscular arms were perfect to represent Damon’s own biceps.

Matt Damon – or Devyn Dalton – faces the giant Laestrygonians. Photograph: Landmark Media/Alamy

Dalton has “the greatest arms I’ve ever seen”, said Damon, speaking to podcaster Josh Horowitz on his show Happy Sad Confused.

“Knowing my arms impressed Matt was honestly pretty special,” Dalton told the Guardian. “His shoutout in the press completely caught me by surprise … I’ll always appreciate that he did.”

Dalton said she had known she wanted to tell stories since she was a child, inventing characters and costumes and putting on shows for her family.

She started out acting professionally at nine years old, which gradually led her into stunt performing – a different way of telling those tales: through the body, through her own strength.

“We celebrate men who build careers around being powerful … so why shouldn’t women be celebrated for that too?” she said.

Dalton (left) filming in Scotland. Photograph: @devyn.dalton/Instagram

After Damon made the comments in his press tour for The Odyssey, the big-screen depiction of Homer’s epic Greek poem that has become a huge hit for Nolan and sparked endless media coverage, Dalton said her phone “absolutely exploded”.

She is currently filming a project in New Zealand and was not expecting to receive global attention.

“Apparently my biceps have their own fanclub right now, which definitely wasn’t on my 2026 prediction,” she said.

Devyn Dalto. Photograph: Scott Hemenway

She said she was cast in the role through the network of professional representatives and stunt coordinators rather than any open casting call.

“When I found out I booked it, I was genuinely so excited and incredibly grateful. It’s one of those moments where years of hard work and persistence suddenly feels worthwhile,” she said.

Dalton flew to Scotland to film and she said it was a continuous reminder of just how many people it takes to put together a production like The Odyssey. “What audiences see for a few minutes often represents months of preparation,” she said.

Dalton said she trained hard for the role, refining her regular regime of exercises, a combination of muay thai, jiu-jitsu, dance, yoga and strength-based workouts.

“I took the responsibility very seriously,” she said. That’s why Damon’s shoutout made her feel the training truly paid off. Meeting him on set, Dalton said that “he’s every bit as genuine, kind and generous as you’d hope”.

Stunt performing is actually an exercise in being extremely well rehearsed and prepared, rather than engaging in anything dangerous or scary, she said. “The best stunt performers are very aware of risk … so everything can be performed as safely as possible.”

Some audiences have been vocal online that stuntwomen in particular should be celebrated more and recognised for their physical prowess and performance.

“I’m proud to represent strong women … I’m passionate about encouraging more people, especially young women, to realise there isn’t just one path into this industry,” she said.

“I hope more young girls grow up believing they never have to choose between being strong and being themselves.”

As for what’s next, Dalton said she would love to lead in a film or series as a starring actor – who of course could do her own stunts.

“Audiences are hungry for new faces … I’d love to show what I’m capable of,” she said.