10 Actors Who Got Their Start in a Christopher Nolan Movie

Christopher Nolan is known for making large-scale dramas and thrillers with complex narratives and plenty of stars. The director often works with actors on multiple projects throughout their careers. At present, Michael Caine (The Dark Knight) is Nolan’s most frequently collaborating actor, appearing in eight out of Nolan’s 12 feature films. Cillian Murphy (Oppenheimer) is in second place with six collaborations.

Scoring a part in one of Nolan’s movies is certainly good for an actor’s career, whether they work together again or not. Some of the actors on this list transitioned to film from television through a Christopher Nolan project, while others made their debut appearances onscreen in Nolan’s films.

Here are 10 actors who launched their film careers with a Christopher Nolan movie.

10

Harry Styles

‘Dunkirk’ (2017)

Harry Styles has been a household name since 2010, when he was a member of the boy band One Direction. The British singer went on to have a successful solo music career, with hits like “As It Was” and “Watermelon Sugar.” Styles didn’t transition into acting until 2017, making his feature film debut in Christopher Nolan’s World War II epic Dunkirk. Nolan hadn’t been overtly aware of Styles’s fame in the music world, casting him based on his audition tape.

Styles plays a Highlanders regiment soldier named Alex, and his performance was well-received. He was even nominated for a Teen Choice Award for the role. After Dunkirk, Styles went on to star in Eternals and My Policeman. He also starred in Don’t Worry Darling opposite Florence Pugh (Thunderbolts*). As an actor, he has been nominated for two MTV Movie Awards and two People’s Choice Awards.

9

Tom Glynn-Carney

‘Dunkirk’ (2017)

Tom Glynn-Carney is an English actor who started acting for television in 2013, with a leading role in the BBC One drama The Last Post in 2017. That same year, he made his feature film debut in Dunkirk as Peter Dawson, the son of a civilian sailor who helps rescue a soldier out of the water.

Since then, Glynn-Carney has appeared on stage and in films such as Tolkien and The King. He has continued to appear on television as well. His most notable role to date is Aegon II Targaryen, the sixth King of the Seven Kingdoms on HBO’s House of the Dragon. In 2024, he appeared in the crime drama miniseries The Jetty starring Jenna Coleman (Victoria).

8

Sarah Goldberg

‘The Dark Knight Rises’ (2012)

Canadian actor Sarah Goldberg started her career in the theater. The Dark Knight Rises was her second film as an actor, and her character was only credited as Analyst #1. She then starred in some short films and appeared on a few television shows before landing the role of Sally Reed on HBO’s Barry. Sally is a member of Barry’s acting class, with whom he later develops a romantic relationship.

In 2019, she was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her performance in Barry. Since then, she has starred in shows like the RTÉ One comedy Sisters and season three of the HBO drama Industry. Her film credits include The Hummingbird Project, The Report, The Night House, Rogue Agent, and We Strangers.

7

Tyler Dean Flores

‘The Dark Knight Rises’ (2012)

Tyler Dean Flores made his feature film debut in The Dark Knight Rises after sending in an audition tape with his acting coach. He found out that he had been cast as Mark in the movie shortly after graduating from eighth grade. He appeared in two episodes of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit in 2013 and in the four-part Netflix miniseries When They See Us.

He went on to play Diego in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier on Disney+ and had a small role in Jane Schoenbrun’s (We’re All Going to the World’s Fair) film I Saw the TV Glow. In 2023, he starred in the Netflix musical series Neon, where he played aspiring reggaeton artist, Santi.

6

Erik Hellman

‘The Dark Knight’ (2008)

Erik Hellman made his acting debut credited as “Junkie” in The Dark Knight, a character who has been exposed to the Scarecrow’s (Cillian Murphy) fear toxin. Since then, he has worked with a few theater companies and has appeared in a number of television shows — primarily procedurals.

He has appeared in several episodes of Chicago Fire and Chicago P.D. as Dr. Alec Willhite. He played Jonny Carson in the Hulu miniseries Mrs. America and was in the fourth season of Fargo on FX. Between 2022 and 2023, he appeared as Peter in the AMC legal thriller 61st Street starring Courtney B. Vance (Law & Order: Criminal Intent).

5

David Dastmalchian

‘The Dark Knight’ (2008)

David Dastmalchian’s first feature film role was in The Dark Knight as former Arkham Asylum patient Thomas Schiff, one of the many men who do the Joker’s (Heath Ledger) bidding. The American actor has worked steadily in film since then. Some of his early post-The Dark Knight film credits include Horsemen, Prisoners, Ant-Man, Blade Runner 2049, Bird Box, and Dune.

David Dastmalchian teamed up with Christopher Nolan again in 2023, when he played William L. Borden in Oppenheimer. Dastmalchian is also cultivating a name for himself in the horror genre. The same year Oppenhiemer was released, he starred in The Last Voyage of the Demeter and Late Night with the Devil, for which he won Best Lead Performance at the Fangoria Chainsaw Awards. He’s been in horror movies like The Boogeyman, Afraid, and Rosario, plus Showtime’s Dexter: Resurrection and the Apple TV+ series Murderbot.

4

Rebecca Hall

‘The Prestige’ (2006)

English actor Rebecca Hall started acting for television in 1992, but it was her second feature film, The Prestige, that really introduced her to American audiences. In the historical drama, she played Sarah Borden, wife of the talented magician Alfred Borden (Christian Bale). Hall earned an Empire Award nomination for Best Female Newcomer for The Prestige. Since then, the actor has remained very busy. She appeared in Frost/Nixon in 2008, Dorian Gray in 2009, and Ben Affleck’s The Town in 2010.

Hall starred in the historical horror movie The Awakening in 2011, for which she was nominated for a British Independent Film Award. Other film credits include Closed Circuit, A Promise, Christine, Professor Marston and the Wonder Women, and The Night House. In 2021, Hall wrote and directed a gripping adaptation of the classic 1929 Nella Larsen novel, Passing. The film received two BAFTA Award nominations for Outstanding British Film of the Year and Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director, or Producer.

3

Karen David

‘Batman Begins’ (2005)

Batman Begins was the first American film role for Canadian actor Karen David. She played Courthouse Reporter No. 1 and was only seen briefly, but over the years, her filmography has grown significantly. In 2010, she starred as Francesca Montoya in the sixth season of Waterloo Road on BBC One. She played Princess Isabella on ABC’s Galavant and Jasmine in Once Upon a Time.

David has also appeared on shows like Castle, Criminal Minds, The Rookie, Legacies, Barry, and We Were Liars. She is likely best known for playing Grace Mukherjee in season five through season eight of AMC’s Fear the Walking Dead. She also played Rose Dinshaw in the NBC crime drama The Irrational.

2

Jack Gleeson

‘Batman Begins’ (2005)

Jack Gleeson’s first credited film role was as the little boy who gets saved by Batman (Christian Bale) in the movie Batman Begins. In the scene, the two share an incredibly sweet moment that resonated with fans. Gleeson was in a few more films before landing his most famous role in 2011: Joffrey Baratheon in HBO’s Game of Thrones.

The Irish actor became famous for playing the ruthless Joffrey, who would become one of the most hated villains in the series. He was nominated for Best TV Villain by the IGN Summer Movie Awards five times, winning twice. After Game of Thrones, Gleeson took a break from screen acting. He returned in 2020, appearing in a few movies and TV shows, including Out of Her Mind, Sex Education, Safe Harbor, and The Sandman. He is slated to appear in the upcoming Netflix drama House of Guinness.

1

Lucy Russell

‘Following’ (1998)

Lucy Russell made her feature film debut in Christopher Nolan’s directorial debut feature film, Following. Russell played a mysterious woman credited as The Blonde opposite Jeremy Theobald (Tenet) as The Young Man. The English actor went on to star in the 2001 period drama The Lady and the Duke. She then teamed up with Nolan again in 2005 for a small role in Batman Begins.

She has since appeared in Tristan & Isolde, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, World War Z, Rebecca, Without Remorse, and Steve McQueen’s 2024 World War II epic Blitz. She has also been on over 40 television shows, such as Midsomer Murders, Call the Midwife, Wolf Hall, Vera, Top Boy, The Girlfriend Experience, The Day of the Jackal, and Dune: Prophecy. For her role in the short sci-fi drama Cognition, Russel won prizes at the Hollywood Blood Horror Festival, New York Cinematography Awards, Rome International Movie Awards, Golden Reel International Film Festival, and the London Movie Awards.