The Film Received Five Oscar Nominations and Won Best Original Screenplay

Samantha Morton, currently earning rave reviews for her role as Circe in Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, has opened up about losing her role in Spike Jonze's 2013 film Her. Morton was originally the voice of Samantha, the AI operating system that Joaquin Phoenix's character falls in love with, but was recast in post-production with Scarlett Johansson taking over. The film received five Oscar nominations and won Best Original Screenplay.

"I have to say that it's every director's prerogative in regard to the final cut of the film. For any job, you're never guaranteed to be in it in the end. But with that, I was surprised.

A little sad would be an understatement, Morton told Josh Horowitz on his Happy Sad Confused podcast. "The time I had on set with Joaquin [Phoenix], working with Spike on the script and finding Samantha, and all the work that we did was really special. We did some mad stuff, the 49-year-old British actor continued.

"They designed and built a booth for me to record all my sound. I would be in this black, padded phone box, or I'd be in the trunk of a car. I think my version of Samantha was very different.

She's English, she explained. "Scarlett Johansson has a beautiful voice; she's incredibly evocative. I got it, but I was sad.

It does hurt when you're fired from something. What I would have wished for was another chance in a booth to do an American accent. I mean, come on.

Morton is part of the stellar cast of The Odyssey, which follows Odysseus (Matt Damon) as he spends more than 10 years trying to get back to Ithaca after the Trojan War. Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong'o, Zendaya and Charlize Theron also star. Speaking ahead of the film's July 17 release, Nolan claimed Morton received a reaction on set he hasn't seen since directing Heath Ledger in 2008's The Dark Knight.

"This was a massive film and [Circe] is someone who comes in and changes the dynamic, Nolan told the Los Angeles Times. "In some weird way, the film lived or died over that character. She was the fulcrum.

I've always admired Samantha's work, she brings so much depth of thinking about her role, there are no limitations on her performance. Nolan recalled that after one of Morton's takes, "the crew gave her a round of applause. He said he discussed the moment with his wife and producing partner Emma Thomas, and that "she remembered that the last time that had happened was with Heath Ledger on The Dark Knight.