{"id":565643,"date":"2026-07-24T08:45:27","date_gmt":"2026-07-24T08:45:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/565643\/"},"modified":"2026-07-24T08:45:27","modified_gmt":"2026-07-24T08:45:27","slug":"himesh-patel-has-the-best-beard-in-the-odyssey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/565643\/","title":{"rendered":"Himesh Patel Has the Best Beard in The Odyssey"},"content":{"rendered":"

Christopher Nolan wasn\u2019t messing around when it came to beards<\/a> in The Odyssey<\/a>. In an interview<\/a> with USA Today, Matt Damon<\/a> revealed that he spent an entire year growing his for the role of Odysseus. Jon Bernthal\u2019s<\/a> Menelaus, meanwhile, went for a thick, unruly one that was every bit as loud as the Spartan king himself. Throw in a cast full of weather-beaten sailors, battle-hardened warriors, and permanently windswept Greeks, and there are plenty of contenders for the film’s most mythological fuzz. But the winner is\u2019t Damon or Bernthal. It\u2019s Himesh Patel<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Real ones will remember Patel as Tamwar Masood<\/a> in EastEnders. When he first pulled up to Albert Square back in 2007, he was a fresh-faced 16-year-old who couldn\u2019t grow stubble<\/a> even if his life depended on it. He eventually left Walford in 2016, and if anyone had predicted that, a decade later, he\u2019d end up playing Eurylochus in The Odyssey with the film\u2019s greatest beard, they\u2019d probably have been laughed out of the Queen Vic.<\/p>\n

\"Image<\/p>\n

Universal Pictures<\/p>\n

That\u2019s not to say he has the biggest beard<\/a> in the movie\u2014not even close. Unlike Odysseus\u2019 or Menelaus\u2019, Eurylochus\u2019 sat somewhere in the middle. It was dense without becoming enormous. Short without looking trimmed to within an inch of its life. The cheeks were packed with coverage, the mustache<\/a> flowed straight into the beard, and the neckline had just enough shape to frame his jaw without screaming, \u201cLook! I had a barber<\/a> appointment yesterday!\u201d<\/p>\n

Most importantly, it looked believable. Nolan\u2019s version of The Odyssey isn\u2019t particularly interested in polished Hollywood perfection, and Patel\u2019s beard fit that vibe so well. It looked dry, wind-beaten, and slightly dusty, like it\u2019s spent months picking up sea salt, smoke, and whatever else comes with rowing across ancient Greece instead of expensive beard oil<\/a> and sandalwood balm.<\/p>\n

It also completely changed Patel\u2019s face. Tamwar always had softer features. Eurylochus still did, but the beard added enough weight and definition to make him feel a little older and a little tougher.<\/p>\n

The good news is that it\u2019s also one of the more achievable beards in the film. Assuming that your genetics are there, the trick here isn\u2019t to grow it for as long as humanly possible. Around the 10 to 15 millimeter mark is the sweet spot. Keep plenty of density through the cheeks, leave the mustache<\/a> connected, avoid carving razor-sharp lines around the neck, and don\u2019t drown it in product. This isn\u2019t the sorta beard that’s supposed to look freshly detailed\u2014it\u2019s supposed to look like it\u2019s been too busy surviving a Cyclops to care.<\/p>\n

Sure, there\u2019ll be plenty of buzz about the monsters and the battles and the performances. But there should also be more of it about Himesh Patel\u2019s epic beard.<\/p>\n

A version of this story originally appeared in British GQ<\/a>.<\/p>\n