Tom Holland effortlessly shut down a critique about his role in The Odyssey. When a interviewer questioned why his character, Telemachus, says the modern word "Dad" instead of "Father," Holland countered with flawless logic: the real characters would have spoken ancient Greek, meaning neither English translation is inherently more authentic.
Classical literature backs him up. In Book 16 of Homer’s epic, Telemachus uses the Greek word "atta" to address Odysseus. Far from being rigid, "atta" was an affectionate, colloquial term much closer to "papa" or "daddy" than anything formal.
Director Christopher Nolan added that audiences often subconsciously expect the ancient world to sound stiff and theatrical. This production intentionally relied on contemporary vocabulary to match the raw, accessible energy of the original poem, deliberately avoiding rigid, old-school historical epic formulas.