Travis Scott (35) is venturing into new territory: The rapper can be seen in Christopher Nolan's (55) new film 'The Odyssey' in his first major role in a Hollywood production - and admits that the acting role initially made him pretty nervous.
On the 'Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon', Scott shared how surprising the Oscar-winning director's request was for him. Nolan called him one day and asked if he'd be interested in appearing in the Greek epic. Scott was completely taken aback at first: 'Wait, you know I make music?', he responded to the filmmaker.
Nolan then explained in detail why he wanted him for the role. Scott, who already knows the director through their collaboration on the 'Tenet' soundtrack, said about Nolan: 'I'm really inspired by him. He's also a real mentor to me outside of that.'
'An incredible cast'
In 'The Odyssey', Scott plays the character Demodokos, a singer and storyteller who recounts the journey of Odysseus. He is the first voice and the first face audiences see in the film's opening scene.
Despite accepting the role, he was very excited on set. 'I was actually really nervous', Scott said. Initially, he thought his scenes would mainly be filmed with extras. Only later did he learn that he would be on camera with, among others, Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, and Robert Pattinson.
'I didn't know what I was doing. But they were an incredible cast', the musician explained. At the same time, he praised Nolan and his fellow actors for making the transition easier for him.
Why Christopher Nolan cast Travis Scott
Christopher Nolan himself previously explained why he selected Travis Scott for the role. He wanted to create a connection between the oral tradition of ancient epics and rap, he told 'Time' magazine. The 'Iliad' and 'Odyssey' were originally passed down as spoken poetry - a concept that reminded him of hip-hop.
In addition to his acting role, Travis Scott also contributed the song 'When I'm Home' to the film, which can be heard during the end credits of 'The Odyssey'. The track was created together with James Blake and was produced by film music composer Ludwig Göransson. Nolan is involved as a co-writer. The film has been playing in theaters since last week.
