"Not what I was expecting to talk about": Christopher Nolan reacts to meeting reporter who went to school with him on Oscars night

96th Annual Academy Awards - Press Room
96th Annual Academy Awards - Press Room (Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images)

During the 2024 Academy Awards, held on Sunday, March 10, 2024, director Christopher Nolan met a reporter who claimed that she went to school with him. As she congratulated the Oppenheimer director, the reporter revealed that she went to school with him but that they "never talked."

Nolan, meanwhile, responded to her stating that it wasn't what he would have expected to talk about at Oscars Night. The reporter, who works for The Daily Mail, Alison Boshoff, went to Christopher Nolan introduced herself, and told him that they had gone to school together.

"Hi Chris, congratulations. It's Alison Boshoff from the Daily Mail here. We went to school together," the reporter told Nolan.

Nolan, who was surprised upon learning that, asked the reporter not to share any stories from school. As the reporter reminded him of their school and a particular teacher, the director said that it wasn't something he expected to talk about that night.

"Wow! That's not what I was expecting to talk about in his moment," the British-American director said.

When Alison asked Chis Nolan how he planned to celebrate, he said that planned to go to the Governor's Ball before meeting his children.


Christopher Nolan was greeted by his classmate from school at the Oscars

After the awards ceremony, Christopher Nolan was greeted by reporter Alison Boshoff from the Daily Mail. Boshoff claimed that the two "went to school together, following which, Nolan jokingly responded, "no stories please".

The reporter then mentioned a "Mr. Turnbull," understood to have been a teacher from Nolan's school. Nolan seemed to pick up who she was talking about and referred to the teacher as "Trotsky Turnbull" with a mustache, which Boshoff confirmed. The Oscar-winning director expressed his surprise at the conversation before Alison asked him his plans for the night.

Nolan told her that he planned to "hit the Governor's Ball up" and meet his children to have "a little celebration with the family."

Christopher Nolan was nominated for six Academy Awards prior to his first directorial win at the 2024 Oscars ceremony for his film Oppenheimer.


Christopher Nolan took home his first Oscar in the Best Director category at the 2024 Academy Awards

Christopher Nolan won his first Oscar in the Best Director category at the 2024 Academy Awards for his July 2023 film Oppenheimer. The film, starring Cillian Murphy as the titular character, portrayed the life of the creator of the atomic bomb, Robert J. Oppenheimer.

Oppenheimer also won an Oscar in the Best Film category. The lead actor, Cillian Muphy won the Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role while Robert Downey Jr. won his first Oscar in the Best Actor in a Supporting Role category. He played the role of Lewis Strauss in Oppenheimer.

During his Oscar acceptance speech, Nolan thanked his wife, Emma Thomas, who was the producer of the film. He also mentioned Murphy in his speech, thanking him for his role in the film as he expressed his gratitude for everyone who had "been there" for him and believed in him over the course of his career.

He added that films were a little "over a 100 years old" and that while he doesn't know where the journey will take him, he was happy that he was a "meaningful part of it."

“To the Academy, just to say movies are just a little bit over 100 years old, I mean imagine being there 100 years into painting or theatre. We don’t know where this incredible journey is going from here. But to know that you think that I’m a meaningful part of it means the world to me. Thank you very much,” Nolan said.

Chris Nolan's film won seven Oscars in the 2024 ceremony. These included Best Original Score, Best Editing, Best Cinematography, Best Director, Best Film, Best Actor in a Leading Role, and Best Actor in a Supporting Role.

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Edited by Madhur Dave
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