Zendaya Shares How Tom Holland Played a Role in Her Odyssey Casting

Zendaya Shares How Tom Holland Played Role in 'Odyssey' Casting (Exclusive)

Zendaya entered a state of euphoria when she was cast in The Odyssey.

But before she took on the role of the Greek goddess Athena, she admitted she “kind of cheated a little bit” because her husband Tom Holland had already been cast as Odysseus’ son Telemachus.

“Tom had the script at home before I got the call,” Zendaya told Justin Sylvester during the Live from E! Stream at The Odyssey premiere in New York City July 14. “So, I did a little peeky peek.”

And the 29-year-old found director Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of Homer’s epic poem—also starring Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Charlize Theron and Lupita Nyong’o and hitting theaters July 17—to be “extraordinary” and “so moving.”

“You would think a piece of literature like this is almost impossible to adapt,” she continued, “but if there's anyone who can do it, it's Mr. Nolan.”

Before she was offered her role, Zendaya previously described how she and Tom—who confirmed last month that the pair had, indeed, tied the knot recently—reacted to his casting in the Oppenheimer director’s latest project.

“He got the call [and] we freaked out,” she told Access Hollywood in an interview published July 6. “It was very exciting. My heart was so full for him.”

Plus, the Euphoria star said she was planning to get the inside scoop from Tom about working with Christopher.

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Universal Pictures; Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images

“I was like, ‘I'm gonna be calling you.’ Like, ‘What was it like?’ Trying to hear all the things,” she added. “I was just so excited and definitely peeking over his shoulder while he was reading because as a fan, I'm curious and I wanted to [know] what is Nolan gonna do next.”

But after the dust settled on Zendaya’s excitement for Tom’s casting in The Odyssey, the Spider-Man actor delivered a big surprise.

“He came back from another meeting [with Christopher] and he was like, ‘Read this again, but now read it with this character in mind,’” she explained. “I was incredibly grateful that I just even got to be a part of it, too. I didn't see that coming.”

For a look at Zendaya and Tom’s romance over the years, keep reading…

For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News App