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When it comes to cinematic complex storytelling, very few filmmakers match Christopher Nolan's skills. He has a knack for telling compelling tales that prompt the audience to become invested in the characters and their lives. Christopher Nolan's impressive body of work so far also proves that the 54-year-old filmmaker is constantly raising the bar in terms of quality and creativity.
And so, it is not surprising that countless actors from the industry, even some big names, are eager to work with him. In fact, the actors who have already worked with Christopher Nolan are always happy to return whenever they are asked. On multiple occasions, many of these actors have commented on Christopher Nolan's talent and commitment to his work.
Christopher Nolan fans will be interested to know what the five actors on this list had to say about the talented filmmaker and what sets him apart.
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Disclaimer: This list contains information from various sources.
Anne Hathaway, Cillian Murphy and three other actors who have immense respect for Christopher Nolan
1) Anne Hathaway
Anne Hathaway's first big collaboration with Christopher Nolan was in 2012 when played Selina Kyle aka Catwoman in The Dark Knight Rises. After that, they worked together again in Interstellar (2014).
In Vanity Fair's April 2024 cover story, Hathaway opened up about how Interstellar helped her overcome a particularly trying time in her career. At that time, she was struggling with online toxicity which had resulted in dwindling job offers. However, Nolan still approached her for the role of Dr. Amelia Brand and she had this to say:
“A lot of people wouldn’t give me roles because they were so concerned about how toxic my identity had become online. I had an angel in Christopher Nolan, who did not care about that and gave me one of the most beautiful roles I’ve had in one of the best films that I’ve been a part of.”
Hathaway has commented on the joys of working with Nolan on numerous occasions. In fact, she even signed on for his upcoming movie which stars Zendaya, Matt Damon, Tom Holland, and Charlize Theron, among others.
In a recent interview with Women's Wear Daily, the actress expressed her happiness over the new development.
“I love Chris and Emma Nolan so much, and to be invited into their world is, I mean, I know from experience it’s one of the best places you can find yourself. Getting to be invited twice really felt like something, three felt like it would’ve been greedy, so I never let myself hope that that would happen, and that it has makes me emotional, to be perfectly honest. It makes me feel like I’m doing something right.”
Given the success of their past collaborations, fans will be looking forward to seeing how Nolan is able to push Hathaway to greater heights.
2) Cillian Murphy
Like the pairing of Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio, cinephiles have high expectations from the partnership between Christopher Nolan and Cillian Murphy. It all started with The Dark Knight trilogy wherein Murphy plays the supervillain Scarecrow. He also played memorable roles in Christopher Nolan's Inception (2010) and Dunkirk (2017).
However, the true potential of this match-up came to the forefront when Cillian Murphy played the lead role in the 2023 biopic, Oppenheimer. During an interview with BBC Radio 1 as part of the film's promotion, Murphy had this to say about Christopher Nolan.
"We have worked together for 20 years and I adore his work. I think he’s one of the greatest directors of his generation, one of the greatest living directors. There’s no one making films like him."
Murphy revealed that he relied heavily on Nolan throughout the whole process. It was also interesting when he revealed that even though he plays the brilliant physicist on screen, his real-life knowledge of the field pales in comparison to Nolan who wrote the screenplay in addition to directing it.
3) John David Washington
Even though his compelling performance in BlacKkKlansman helped establish John David Washington as a talented actor, it was Christopher Nolan's Tenet (2020) that propelled him into international stardom. This sci-fi thriller, which took Nolan five years to write, enthralled audiences with its unconventional storytelling and impressive visual effects.
During an interview with Hollywood Insider for the film's promotion, Washington revealed that he is a big fan of Nolan's work.
"I think, his storytelling ability, at the core of it, is top-notch. I think he just knows how to tell a story. And how he tells it non-linearly, he just breaks all kinds of traditions," he said.
Washington also spoke about how Christopher Nolan is able to introduce complex concepts in a way that is both inviting and interesting. He said:
"This kind of science that’s being introduced in the film that we might not necessarily know or comprehend, we do feel it through the character’s lens. We feel it through what they are experiencing."
Like Washington, other fans of Nolan will also be hoping that the filmmaker continues to explore topics that give viewers food for thought in the coming years as well.
4) Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Joseph Gordon-Levitt has appeared in a multitude of movies and TV shows over the years and has therefore worked with his fair share of talented directors. However, he is particularly proud of his collaborations with Christopher Nolan.
He portrayed young John Blake in The Dark Knight Rises who is determined to fight the good fight alongside Batman. During a breakdown of his career for Vanity Fair, he had this to say about Nolan:
"It (The Dark Knight) was such a brilliant movie! It was brilliant in the same way that these movies that I grew up loving were brilliant. The ones I was talking about, Soderbergh and Tarantino. All these movies that were so rooted in character and heart and soul and not in glitz and gloss. But Nolan was managing to bring that artistry to a Batman movie! It’s the craziest magic trick that he was able to do that."
Gordon-Levitt received plenty of positive feedback for his performance in Christopher Nolan's Inception. He played the role of Arthur, Cobb's partner, and did all of his stunt scenes with the exception of one.
5) Matthew McConaughey
Christopher Nolan movies have complex storylines that would fall flat without the right cast and the filmmaker has a knack for casting just the right actors. In the case of Interstellar, it is hard to imagine anyone but Matthew McConaughey play the role of Joseph Cooper aka Coop.
McConaughey has played several iconic roles throughout his career, and Coop is most certainly one of them. During a promotional interview with HitFlix, the actor shared what it was like working with Christopher Nolan.
"I have never worked with a better leader. I cannot say that I have worked with a better problem solver. And half the problems, he just solves by pure will. Everything must keep moving forward. He never goes backwards."
McConaughey also commented on Nolan's ability to conceptualize things in a grand manner that doesn't come naturally to all filmmakers. Even though there have been no news of another McConaughey and Nolan collaboration, fans will certainly not object to one, given the success of Interstellar.
The high praise showered on Christopher Nolan by these talented actors is proof that the skilled filmmaker is changing the face of cinema, one movie at a time.
