Christopher Nolan names the most magical star he has ever worked with
David Bowie had seen it all. To say he manifested the cliched mantra of “sex, drugs, and rock and roll” would be a drastic understatement. In fact, Bowie often went further than the chaotic adventures that an expansive career in the music industry afforded him; he also had an envious career in film.
Bowie’s acting, considering the fact that he was primarily a musician, was widely regarded, and he frequently appeared in films throughout his professional life. Amongst these films were Labyrinth, Basquiat and The Prestige, the latter of which he took on the role of the Serbian-American inventor Nikola Tesla. The film’s director, Christopher Nolan, once said that Bowie was the person he enjoyed working with the most.
“The experience of having him on set was wonderful,” Nolan said. “Daunting, at first. He had a level of charisma beyond what you normally experience, and everyone really responded to it. I’ve never seen a crew respond to any movie star that way, no matter how big. But he was very gracious and understood the effect he had on people.”
He added, “Everyone has fond memories of getting to spend time with him or speak to him for a little bit. I only worked with him briefly – four or five days – but I did manage to sneak a couple of moments to chat with him, which are very treasured memories of mine.”
The Prestige came out in 2006 and starred Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale as rival magicians in the late 1800s who are battling to create the most powerful stage illusion. Their contest has tragic consequences and leads them to consult Nikola Tesla – played by Bowie – to outperform one another. Christopher Nolan also commented on Bowie’s star power.
“Normally when you meet stars, no matter how starry they are, when you see them as people, some of that mystique goes away,” Nolan said. “But not with David Bowie. I came away from the experience being able to say I was still his biggest fan, and a fan who had the very miraculous opportunity to work with him for a moment.”
He added, “I loved the fact that after having worked with him, I had just the same fascination with his talent and his charisma. I thought that was quite magical.”
