The “proudest boast” of Christopher Nolan’s career
Due to his unique stature in modern cinema, Christopher Nolan gets the opportunity to work with the biggest stars in the world whenever he embarks on a new project. Ranging from Leonardo DiCaprio to Robert Pattinson, Nolan has collaborated with some of the most popular names in the industry on blockbusters such as Inception and Tenet. However, when it comes to creative partnerships, there’s one specific icon Nolan regards above the rest.
In terms of star power, Nolan is currently working on the biggest project of his career so far – Oppenheimer. Starring notable acting talents such as Cillian Murphy, Robert Downey Jr., Emily Blunt and Matt Damon, Oppenheimer has been drawing a lot of attention and is definitely among the most anticipated films of the year. Despite this, Nolan still considers one particular professional experience to be the biggest highlight of his trajectory as a filmmaker.
During a segment for BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs segment, Nolan claimed that one of the “proudest boasts” of his career was the opportunity to work with David Bowie. Of course, the two worked together on Nolan’s 2006 thriller The Prestige, where Bowie starred alongside Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale. Considered to be among the finest entries in Nolan’s filmography, Bowie’s appearance in The Prestige is still fondly remembered by fans.
While talking about the experience of working with a cultural icon of Bowie’s stature, Nolan admitted that the entire thing was simply unbelievable. The filmmaker gushed: “It’s one of my proudest boasts that I got to work with David Bowie. If I could go back in time and tell my 16-year-old self that I would ever get to meet him, let alone work with him, I think my head would have exploded.”
Bowie put in a notable cameo as Nikola Tesla, a fictionalised version of the incredible inventor who works on a transportation device in the film. According to Nolan, Bowie’s charisma was simply unparalleled, and he transformed the entire set when he arrived. Although the music legend put in many more accomplished performances throughout his career, his role in The Prestige is also a significant one.
In an interview with EW, Nolan said: “He had that requisite iconic status, and he was a figure as mysterious as Tesla needed to be. It took me a while to convince him, though—he turned down the part the first time. It was the only time I can ever remember trying again with an actor who passed on me. I petitioned to let me explain why he was the right actor for it. In total honesty, I told him if he didn’t agree to do the part, I had no idea where I would go from there. I would say I begged him.”
The director added: “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. 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.”
