David Dastmalchian Recalls Christopher Nolan and Denis Villeneuve Asking Questions About Each Other on Set: ‘I’m a Tiny Little Thread Between Them’

Christopher Nolan and Denis Villeneuve have a lot in common, from their passion for celluloid film and theatrical distribution to their unparalleled ability to get acclaimed studio blockbusters off the ground. Both men are on top of the world at the moment, with Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” sweeping the Oscars and Villeneuve’s “Dune: Part Two” enjoying a lucrative box office run. And according to one of their mutual collaborators, they’re both as fascinated with each other as the world is with them.

In a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Nolan and Villeneuve regular David Dastmalchian recalled his experiences working with the two men. He explained that Villeneuve was eager to ask him questions about Nolan’s process when Dastmalchian was cast in “Prisoners” — and that Nolan later reciprocated the interest in Villeneuve when they re-teamed on “Oppenheimer.”

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“One of the first things [Villeneuve] said to me [on the ‘Prisoners’ set] was, ‘I want to hear about your experience on ‘The Dark Knight.’ I want to know what it was like to work with Christopher Nolan,’” Dastmalchian said. “And then ten years after we made ‘Prisoners,’ I’m now reunited with Christopher Nolan on the set of ‘Oppenheimer,’ and we’re talking about how much he loves the work of Denis Villeneuve. He was the one now asking me questions about my experiences on set with our friend Denis. So to know that I’m a tiny little thread between these two artists, I found that to be a wildly fascinating life moment.”

Dastmalchian went on to reflect on his lengthy creative relationship with Nolan, explaining that watching Nolan’s career unfold felt like seeing film history being written.

“As a theater actor from Chicago, the first time I ever stood on a set was ‘The Dark Knight,’ and now, all these years later, I’m a part of ‘Oppenheimer’ and I’m seeing the impact that it’s having on audiences, culture, society and cinema history,” he said. “I believe that it’s a really important part of cinema history, and so it’s made me very nostalgic.”

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