Meet the 4ft 6in female stunt double behind Hollywood’s biggest movies… who even filled in for Matt Damon in The Odyssey

TOWERING over Matt Damon with a sword and steel armour, mythical monsters the Laestrygonian cannibals cut an imposing figure on the film poster for titan blockbuster Odyssey. But, much like a Greek folktale, deception was afoot. For, instead of the Good Willing Hunting actor, 55, featuring on the billboards, it was actually a 4ft 6in woman, known for having “the greatest arms” in Hollywood. Devyn Dalton is the stunt double for Matt Damon in this scene against the Laestrygonians Credit: Supplied The 4ft 6in Canadian (right) was said to have the ‘greatest arms I’ve ever seen’ by filmstar Matt Credit: instagram/devyn.dalton Devyn Dalton, 35, was unmasked as the stunt double who not only featured on The Odyssey‘s poster but also in daring fight scenes that featured Laestrygonians – man eating giants said to be “huge as a mountain” in Homer’s eight century tome. The Hollywood hit, which has raked in $912m at the Box Office in under three weeks, has led to lavish praise being poured over Damon for not only his acting but “the greatest bicep work seen outside of a Hemsworth film”. Sign up for the Showbiz newsletter Thank you! On the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Damon admitted “it was almost 100 per cent my arms in the movie” but commended Devyn, whom he described as having “the greatest arms I’ve ever seen”, for filling in for him. Such exposure is a pivotal moment for Devyn, of Vancouver, Canada, who bagged her first acting gig aged nine in a board game advert for Disney film Lilo & Stitch, before starring alongside the likes of Damon, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, Pedro Pascal and Florence Pugh. Aside from The Odyssey, she’s worked on The Planet Of The Apes trilogy, Thunderbolts*, The Last Of Us, X-Men: Dark Phoenix, Godzilla, The BFG, Poltergeist, The Predator, The X Files, Ghostbusters: Afterlife and the Percy Jackson films to name a few. And it’s been a rollercoater, with Devyn telling us she has undergone 25ft falls, jumped through glass, fought underwater for over a minute and been flipped around in a giant frying pan. Giving insight into the job, she tells us: “It’s a dangerous job for sure and unfortunately, we have even lost performers. I’ve been lucky. “You get lots of bumps and bruises, minor concussions and your body takes a beating. Most read in Showbiz “If you’re doing superhero stuff, there’s a lot of flying, flipping and explosions. Sometimes you’re jumping or falling off buildings or in fight scenes with weapons. “In a comedy called Jackpot!, John Cena kicked me out of a car. I was on a wire and as the car was driving they pulled me out of it. That was a fun one but a big stunt to rehearse. “In another, I ran out onto the street, jumped up and was safely hit by a car, and pulled back by the wires onto a soft landing. “I’ve had to do some fight scenes underwater where you have to hold your breath for at least a minute. “And I’ve been on a frozen lake, where I had to jump under the ice. There are a lot of different variables in stunt performing. Doing something new is scary but it’s done safely. “These stunts are crazy unimaginable things, yet are possible. You need to be a jack of all traders. It takes work and dedication. “I’ve had to stop telling my mum all of the details now because it scares her. She usually says, ‘I love it when you do acting roles’ rather than stunts. I guess that’s natural for a mum. Devyn, who started out acting in commercials at the age of nine, trained as a dancer and actress before her career as a stunt performer took off in 2012. Devyn, who is 4ft 6in, alongside one of the 7ft actors who played a Laestrygonian Credit: Supplied The actress, who has more than 80 film and TV credits, began as a stunt performed in 2012 Credit: instagram/devyn.dalton Devyn has starred alongside John Cena (right), Matt Damon, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson and many more Credit: Supplied One of the many terrifying creatures Devyn has played in her 13 years as a stunt performer Credit: instagram/devyn.dalton The Odyssey is undoubtedly one of her biggest films to date – and she says Damon, who she was a stunt double for, was “hugely impressed” with her muscly arms. Although Devyn has been sworn to secrecy for behind the scenes tricks of the trade, she recalls her three weeks on set in the Scottish highlands as a “blur” due to how busy it was. She says: “You’re trekking through woods down to the beach, in the cold water and doing a lot of different things. You definitely earned your days, it was hard work but very satisfying.” In the scene, Devyn – posing as Damon with a fake beard – is seen racing away from Laestrygonians, played by 7ft actors, and swordfighting. Due to her 4ft 6in height and forced perspective – a camera trick to make things appear bigger – the mythical creatures appeared giant. Another big hit Devyn starred in was in the Planet of the Apes remakes, alongside Andy Serkis, whose work she describes as “a master class that takes your breath away”. Devyn played Cornelia – main character Caesar’s mate, their son Cornelius and “a bunch of other ape characters” used in the background of scenes. She adds: “Most people think there may be a tennis ball on you and the rest is CGI but there is way more to it. Devyn also starred as one this ‘Clickers’ in zombie TV series The Last Of Us Credit: Supplied She played multiple parts in the reboot of The Planet Of The Apes franchise Credit: instagram/devyn.dalton “Although the characters are CGI, it’s your facial expressions, vocals, movement and takes incredible acting. Moving like a totally different creature is extremely physically demanding. Some scenes have been more daring, like in 2025 horror movie Weapons while she was “embodying possessed, crazy children” and had to dive through glass. Devyn says: “One shot with Amy Madigan, I had to run after her through the whole house and tackle her through glass windows. “With special effects, they hit a button that shatters the glass just before you jump through. Others we broke through ourselves. “I jumped through numerous windows and doors using both breakaway glass and tempered glass.” In The Last Of Us, she was a ‘Clicker’ – vicious lethal, zombie-like creatures who can’t see – and was surrounded by actors set alight. And in The BFG, she was the stunt double for child character Sophie, which saw her go through a 25ft fall and daring stunts on a set made to look fit for giants. “All the sets were giant, I was running on big tables and being flipped around in a big frying pan that was five times my size,” Devyn says. “It was whimsical and so beautiful to work on. “With the flips you have wires on you and stunt riggers to help manipulate you. Then you perform flips in the air and I had to run and jump into huge jars and a snozzcumber (a big cucumber) too.” Devyn flying through the air as part of a car scene Credit: Supplied The stunt star is a martial arts expert and dancer too Credit: Supplied Stunt work isn’t for the fainthearted. Devyn explains filming can last 12 to 16 hours each day. Often they work six day weeks. Sauna sessions, cold plunges, lots of vitamins and as much rest as possible is vital for recovery, in addition to training to keep in shape. “It’s really intense,” she says. “You’re lucky if you get five hours of sleep a night. Filming a movie is like doing an ultramarathon, you have to stay in good health, shape and focus on recovery throughout. “You’re constantly in recovery, you’re sore, covered in bumps and bruised up and battling minor concussion but I’m lucky to have not had any major injuries. “You also get Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, which is from slamming your head around and smacking your brain a lot.” Currently filming in New Zealand on a project she can’t name, Devyn is hoping the exposure courtesy of Damon could be a gamechanger for her career. She’s hoping to follow in the footsteps of similarly-muscly stars like The Rock, who has been the world’s highest paid actor in multiple years, and WWE wrestler turned comedy star John Cena. “Why can’t I break barriers, play the lead in movies and celebrate my muscles. John and Dawyne did it so why can’t a small woman?” Devyn says. She worked with boxer Jake Paul on a satirical trailer for Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Credit: instagram/devyn.dalton She credited Andy Serkis, who worked on the Planets films, as an exceptional talent Credit: Getty Such lavish praise from Damon will certainly help. Previously, the important part she played in The Odyssey was hushed-up. “I always knew it was me on the poster, I kept saying ‘Oh my god, that’s me’, but it wasn’t something I could share with the world,” Devyn says. “It has been fun to see how excited people are about it. I’m proud and honoured to be part of something so epic. I definitely need to get myself a poster and frame it. “I really did want to impress Matt with my arms, so it was good to show up and do exactly that. He was hugely impressed and complemented me. “I was completely surprised by his praise. It touched me. He’s the most humble, down to earth person. Someone of his calibre shining a light on stunts makes me an even bigger fan.” And it’s not just Damon who’s impressed with her sculpted arms, as she tells us strangers often remark “wow, great biceps”, “I love your arms” and ask her for workout tips. “People are super, super impressed,” she says. “It took me a long time to even embrace my body type. Coming up in dance and film I felt pressure to be thinner and not have muscles. “But my natural body type has always been athletic. Now I have embraced and leaned into it and it’s opened doors in my career and made me feel a lot happier. Devyn starring alongside Dominic Purcell in DC’s Legends Of Tomorrow Credit: Supplied She has also starred as children thanks to her height Credit: Supplied “My advice is don’t change to fit the mould, lean into what you have. That’s what makes you special and different.” Describing herself as a “fitness freak”, Devyn trains almost every day – either strength training, running, martial arts, Calisthenics, dancing or movement work. To achieve such an impression physique for The Odyssey, she went through a bulking phase – eating more calories while weight-lifting to increase muscle mass and strength. Devyn followed it with a ‘cut’, a small calorie deficit coupled with more weight lifting and increased cardio. It’s a tactic often used by bodybuilders. She hopes her achievements will inspire and empower young women – especially those like her who disliked their body shape – by seeing successful people with healthy and athletic bodies. Devyn adds: “Everyone should be represented on screen and I can’t wait to continue showcasing my muscles in new roles in more upcoming films.” Comment now