Matt Damon's The Odyssey stunt double is B.C. woman with 'the greatest arms' he's ever seen

'I’m really proud to just be a tiny girl from Canada and to represent on this level,' says Devyn Dalton

She might be small, but this B.C.-born stunt performer is making big waves for her part in Christopher Nolan's box-office busting epic The Odyssey.

Vancouver's Devyn Dalton doubled Matt Damon in one of the film's key sequences, a role that's garnered plenty of attention after the actor heaped praise on her during a recent interview.

“It was really cool of Matt to do a shoutout, I really appreciate it," Dalton told CBC's On The Coast.

"I hope it can only shine more of a light on stunt actors, and I think stunts are getting a lot of buzz right now in the industry and I think it’s been a long time coming.”

Meet the Vancouver woman who is Matt Damon's stunt double in The Odyssey

In an interview with Josh Horowitz, Damon explained how Nolan used a technique called "forced perspective" to make Odysseus and his band of men appear small in the face of a group of giants called the Laestrygonians.

“There were these kind of stunt men who were all seven feet, right? And then they got stunt men who were under five feet," Damon explained.

"And so my double was a woman — a female stunt performer who had the greatest arms I have ever seen."

Dalton, who stands four feet six inches tall, told CBC News she started performing at age nine, and spent years developing her skills as a dancer, actor, athlete and stunt performer.

Along the way, she's collected more than 80 stunt and acting credits, work she said helped open the door to a role in The Odyssey.

“Basically your last job is your audition for your next job," she said.

"I’m really proud to just be a tiny girl from Canada and to represent on this level."

Dalton said the massive production employed an "empire" of hair, makeup and costume artists to transform her into a miniature version of Damon.

She also boned up on her sword-fighting technique before donning the armour.

“I stay ready all year long," she said. "As a stunt performer, when you’re not working, you’re training.”

Now on set for a "top secret" project in New Zealand, Dalton told CBC News she couldn't have had her current opportunities without the hard work of female stunt performers who came before her.

She said she hopes the next generation can get some inspiration from her own story.

“There’s a lot of pressures as a woman for body image and I’ve always had an athletic build," Dalton said.

"And to be able to lean into that and be celebrated for being a strong, powerful woman, I can only hope that is a great message for young girls out there.”

With files from CBC's On The Coast