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Sean Avery plays Laodamas, one of Odysseus’ loyal men, in 'The Odyssey'
Former NHL player Sean Avery has become an actor since retiring from the league. He now finds himself as a regular in Christopher Nolan’s movies.
Sean Avery, the 46-year-old former and famously antagonistic Red Wings, Kings, Rangers, and Stars winger, has now appeared in Christopher Nolan’s last three films: Tenet (2020), Oppenheimer (2023), and The Odyssey (2026).
With his role in The Odyssey, Sean Avery has now appeared in Christopher Nolan’s last three movies
His work as a go-to guy for Nolan was detailed in a recent piece by The Athletic, which recounted The Odyssey star Matt Damon’s reaction to seeing Avery’s physical performance on set.
“Avery lined up behind Damon and Gonzales for the next take. When it began, he surged forward, blasting past both. Gonzales recalled Damon’s immediate, impressed response. ‘That,’ the movie star observed, ‘is what a professional athlete can do.'”
According to the piece, Avery — who was cast as Laodamas, one of Odysseus’ loyal men — spent around six months filming The Odyssey in Greece, Scotland, Iceland, Morocco and Sicily.
“He says ‘guys were banged up’ from the physical demands of being on Odysseus’ crew: They hiked up a mountain and through trees wearing armor, took rowing courses and spent days filming on boats to execute Nolan’s vision. It was the most extensive production Avery had experienced — and it only made him hungrier for more work in his new field.”
“I save Odysseus,” Avery says. “What an incredible movie moment for me.”
In addition to his work with Nolan, Avery has also had roles in the Mark Wahlberg-starring movies Patriots Day and Mile 22, the 2020 black comedy horror Spree, David O. Russell’s 2022 film Amsterdam, and Happy Gilmore 2.
Avery began his NHL career with the Detroit Red Wings in 2001 and spent time with Detroit, the Los Angeles Kings, New York Rangers, and Dallas Stars. He led the league in penalty minutes twice in his career, during the 2003–04 and 2005–06 NHL seasons, and was involved in numerous controversial incidents.
His behavior even made its mark on NHL history thanks to the creation of the “Avery Rule” during the 2008 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
During game three of the 2008 Eastern Conference quarterfinals against the New Jersey Devils, Avery stood directly in front of Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur and waved his arms in front of Brodeur’s face while facing him — rather than traditionally screening the goaltender while watching the play. Avery eventually scored on the power play.
The NHL convened an emergency meeting the following day and immediately implemented a new rule stating that an attacking player who positions himself facing the opposing goaltender and makes “a deliberate attempt to make physical contact” or uses “unsportsmanlike conduct” to distract the goaltender would be assessed a two-minute unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. The rule colloquially became known as the “Avery rule.”