Zendaya was left unable to speak properly when she started filming Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey.

Admitting the freezing temperatures in Iceland left her struggling to deliver her lines as she took on the role of the Greek goddess Athena, the 29-year-old actress said the conditions were so cold her mouth "would not move", making an already nerve-racking first collaboration with the Oscar-winning director even more challenging.

Speaking on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Zendaya reflected on the pressure of stepping onto the set for the first time by saying: "Here's the thing. I had my lines and I wanted to have them so down. I psyched myself out a little bit.

"It was particularly cold. It was in Iceland. My mouth was just frozen. There is nothing coming out. My mouth would not move. Literally. It came out like, 'Blah blah blah'. So embarrassing."

She added: "But I will say, I think just showing up in any situation like this… it was such a pleasure and a gift to be able to share scenes with people you admire.

"Part of you has to compartmentalize to a degree. Lock in, we're working. But I was so moved and excited to be there and wanted to do my best work."

Zendaya appears in Christopher Nolan's latest epic, The Odyssey, which opens in cinemas on 17 July through Universal Pictures, alongside an all-star ensemble cast.

It marks the latest project for the Euphoria, Dune and Spider-Man star, who has continued to dominate headlines following the success of Challengers and anticipation surrounding the next Spider-Man film.

Odyssey filmmaker Christopher, whose previous films include Oppenheimer, Interstellar, Inception and The Dark Knight trilogy, cast Zendaya as Athena, describing her as possessing the "iconic" grace needed to portray the goddess.

Despite Zendaya's concerns about her first day, Nolan said her performance throughout production exceeded expectations.

Speaking to Fandango, Christopher said: "She was always perfect. Always perfect."

He then joked: "I felt guilty when I first heard they were complaining bout it, but then I realised that's kind of on them and not me."

Christopher had previously explained why he chose Zendaya for the role in an interview with Elle magazine.

He said: "I mean, she's literally playing a goddess; it's a tall order. She's a true movie star, but also an incredible actor."

Zendaya has become one of Hollywood's most sought-after performers through Emmy-winning performances in Euphoria, alongside leading roles in Denis Villeneuve's Dune films, Luca Guadagnino's Challengers and Marvel's Spider-Man series opposite her husband Tom Holland, with her latest collaboration with Nolan marking another high-profile addition to her film career.