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Samantha Morton's Improvised Humming Defines Nolan's “The Odyssey”

7/24/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Samantha Morton (49) plays Circe in Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey,” a performance that defined the film.
During the pig-transformation scene, Morton improvised humming, a script-free choice that Nolan kept in the final cut.
Nolan said the crew gave her a round of applause—the last time he saw such a reaction since Heath Ledger.

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Story summary

Samantha Morton (49) plays Circe in Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey,” a performance that defined the film.
During the pig-transformation scene, Morton improvised humming, a script-free choice that Nolan kept in the final cut.
Nolan said the crew gave her a round of applause—the last time he saw such a reaction since Heath Ledger.