When Christopher Nolan Revealed the Secret Behind Casting His Daughter in the Creepiest ‘Oppenheimer’ Scene

Published 03/05/2024, 11:08 AM EST

via Imago

When Oppenheimer took over the world last year, fans were expecting to see Cillian Murphy, Robert Downey Jr., Emily Blunt, and more. However, in the theatre, they were treated to another surprise. Apart from all the stars dazzling the screen, Christopher Nolan’s eldest daughter, Flora, was also in the film. Just days before the film was released, the 53-year-old ended up revealing why he chose to cast her as a burn victim.

The world might have been hoping for a big secret or a career-oriented reason for it. However, Nolan surprised everyone with his spur-of-the-moment revelations.

Why Christopher Nolan cast his daughter in Oppenheimer

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In 2023, a few days before Oppenheimer was released worldwide, Christopher Nolan shed some light on why he had cast his daughter, Flora, in the film. Fans were confused as she had played the role of a young woman who got burned during a nuclear explosion, which was a rather disturbing role. In an interview with the Telegraph, the father of four revealed that it was his way of expressing how creating “the ultimate destructive power” could “destroy those near and dear to you.”

It may have worked out well for the director in the long run. However, initially, it was just a random decision Nolan and his wife, Emma Thomas, made when they visited the set for the first time. Although it may not have been planned, adding his daughter into Oppenheimer brought around a stronger and more intense wave of emotion through everyone who had waited for the credits to roll.

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While Nolan’s decision was rather random, it was one of the many parts of the film that helped him bag his first-ever BAFTA award. However, it was not the first time that he had cast one of his kids.

Christopher Nolan’s streak of sneaking his kids into his films

Christopher Nolan stunned his fans when he cast his daughter, Flora, in Oppenheimer. With the director and his producer wife, Emma Thomas, striving to keep their private life out of the limelight, they have still found a way to include their 4 kids in their world. Apart from the Cillian Murphy film, the 53-year-old has also cast his son, Magnus, as James Cobb in Inception.

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Back in 2014, the couple did it again when they added their son, Rory, in Interstellar as the boy on the bridge. He also made an appearance in his parent’s The Dark Knight Rises. The first time Nolan and Thomas cast their kid in a film was back in 2006. It was Oliver, who was in The Prestige alongside Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman, and Michael Cane.

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What do you think about Christopher Nolan’s reason for casting his daughter in Oppenheimer? Let us know in the comments below.

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Prathika Prashant

882 articles

Prathika Prashant is an Entertainment Writer and Hollywood News Reporter at Netflix Junkie. Having 150+ articles to her name, her EdTech background helped her explore her love for writing. However, being a singer who can be seen covering her favorite songs in her free time is what truly got her into the glittery world of entertainment.

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