Christopher Nolan knows how to deliver. The Inception director might have directed only 12 movies in his career. But we all know he’s left the industry better than he found it. His perspicacity and style of narration are unparalleled. And so is the grandiosity of his films. Every movie is a festival in itself. And this is in no small part down to the cast. Leonardo DiCaprio, Cillian Murphy, Tom Hardy. The list of stars goes on. One wonders how he manages to bring them on. And Emily Blunt had the most hilarious answer.
Emily Blunt on working with Christopher Nolan
Emily Blunt joined an elite list of actors that have had the opportunity of featuring in a Christopher Nolan movie, essaying the role of Katherine ‘Kitty’ Oppenheimer in Oppenheimer. And it is no shock that playing the role of the theoretical physicist’s wife was a great experience for her.
In an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, the A Quiet Place star delved into the experience of working on the 2023 flick – the intricacies of the shoot and how she felt dumb around Christopher Nolan amongst other things. But she also gave us a sneak peek into how Nolan recruited her.
Emily Blunt shares how she got the role of Kitty Oppenheimer
Emily Blunt was overjoyed to play the role of Kitty, and a little anxious that she would not be able to keep up with the script (a characteristic of a traditional Nolan film). But she’ll always remember how Nolan offered her the role.
She told Stephen Colbert,
“You get a call back from Chris Nolan. Although he doesn’t have a phone (his wife called her)… You get a call and you go to meet him. I went to meet him at his house… You have this whole conversation with him.” (The Late Show with Stephen Colbert)
That is when things got real.
The red paper did the trick
Elaborating upon Nolan’s modus operandi, she said,
“We just you know, chatted about God knows what, and then he goes, ‘Right so I am going to make this movie, Oppenheimer. Have you heard? If you would like to have a look at the role of Kitty Oppenheimer, I would love you to do it.'”
That is when the real trick began. She continued,
“Then you’re handed the script on red paper, cause apparently you can’t photocopy a red paper.”
Colbert buzzed in, “So he doesn’t trust you?” Blunt replied in the negative. But there was more to the use of a red paper. She jokingly said,
“It’s hypnotic. That’s why everyone says yes (to the role).”
Much to her relief, the ‘hypnosis’ did not result in her loss, as Oppenheimer went on to become one of the best releases of the year, making money in the north of $950 million. And the actors who were ‘hypnotized’ also fared well.
That is a Chris Nolan hallmark. He goes to great pains to have great actors all across the board. Getting RDJ is one such achievement. After all, having quality actors in a supporting role only enhances the quality of his work, something he has been doing for years now.
