Lupita Nyong'o was impressed with Christopher Nolan's "economical" approach during the making of The Odyssey.

The 43-year-old actress plays the dual role of Helen of Troy/Clytemnestra in the historical epic based on Homer's ancient Greek literature of the same name and felt that the filmmaker's "succinct" approach was exactly what was needed amid time constraints for scenes shot with IMAX's 70 mm film cameras.

Nyong'o told Collider: "I think he's just economical with what he shares and says to you.

"He gives you a note, and it's succinct, and it inspires a new thought, and then you just do it. He's not prescriptive, except for when he has to be, especially because we were working with IMAX and you have two and a half minutes.

"So sometimes we were going too long, and you've just got to tighten it up. So yeah, he's very economical with his notes, but they're exact."

Nyong'o's co-star Himesh Patel explained that Nolan would often tell cast members "exactly what (they) needed to hear" when it came to advice for shooting scenes.

The 35-year-old actor, who plays Eurylochus in The Odyssey, said: "Yeah, I agree. The economy is definitely the thing.

"He doesn't feel the need to give you a note unless it's something specific and necessary, and I actually really appreciate that because you can tell sometimes when a director doesn't really have anything more to say other than, 'Let's just go again and see what happens', and they feel like they have to.

"It's like, 'I'm good, but if you say 'Just go again', let's just go again.'

"And I really like that. All it means is, 'Okay, he wants to go again, and let's try something new.' But then when he does give you a note, it'll be exactly what you needed to hear."

Nyong'o also described how The Odyssey - which features an all-star cast including Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway and Tom Holland - highlighted that the "impact" of a role is more meaningful to her than the amount of time she spends on screen.

The Black Panther star said: "It just reinforced for me that it doesn't matter the size of the role. For me, it's about the impact.

"This was another moment where my roles together are small in terms of how much screen time I have, but I felt very additive to the process. They're small but mighty.

"So, I'm going to stay true to looking for those impactful roles."

Nyong'o previously revealed that she was unfamiliar with the story of The Odyssey prior to signing up for a part in Nolan's blockbuster.

Speaking to ELLE magazine, Lupita said: "I really had no idea what The Odyssey was. I was like, 'Oh, snap, I don't know the first thing about this.' So it was a crash course. I picked up the books and read them immediately. I have this film to thank for my Greek mythological education."