The 'Oppenheimer' Cast Looks Just Like Their Historical Counterparts

At the London premiere of his latest film, the mind-bending three-hour historical epic Oppenheimer, Chrstopher Nolan paid tribute to the countless actors who recently worked to create his vision. Actors who, moments earlier, exited that very premiere in support of the SAG strike that had just begun.

"I have to acknowledge the work of our incredible cast, led by Cillian Murphy," he said, listing off a handful more names before changing his tune. "Unfortunately, they are off to write their picket signs for what we believe to be an imminent strike by SAG, joining one of my guilds, the Writers Guild, in the struggle for fair wages for working members of their union."

Nolan's support for his cast should come as no surprise. While the director has has been making features for more than 20 years, Oppenheimer is probably the most substantive ensemble cast he's ever put together. That casting is absolutely essential, of course, in telling a story that not only actually happened, but features countless real-life notable figures who impacted one of the defining moments in modern history.

Casting the titular Oppenheimer was probably an easy choice for Nolan—he'd worked with Murphy on five prior films, and the two clearly understand each other on a deep level that consistently translates to big-screen success. In casting what may be the most important lead role of his career, Nolan went with someone he knew he could trust. A couple other Nolan returnees are in the cast (Matt Damon was in Interstellar and Kenneth Branagh was in both Dunkirk and Tenet), but, for the most part, Oppenheimer marks the director's chance to work with many of the industry's biggest actors for the first time. That includes established names like Emily Blunt and Robert Downey Jr., rising stars like Florence Pugh, and giving someone like Josh Hartnett (who shined in his Black Mirror episode earlier this summer) a continued chance at a renaissance.

In Oppenheimer, Nolan takes his chance to create a movie that can serve as both a stunning narrative and visual experience, while also taking a stunning look at some of the figures who played key parts in a defining moment in world history. Below, we take a look at some of the film's major actors, and the real-life characters they play.

Cillian Murphy - J. Robert Oppenheimer

After working with Christopher Nolan in a supporting role in five previous films—Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, Inception, The Dark Knight Rises, and Dunkirk—Cillian Murphy finally gets to play the lead in Oppenheimer. And what a lead it is. Murphy plays the famed scientist and "father" of the Atomic bomb, J. Robert Oppenheimer, in the movie bearing his name.

Emily Blunt - Kitty Oppenheimer

Emily Blunt, best known for her roles in movies like The Devil Wears Prada, A Quiet Place, and Sicario, plays Katherine "Kitty" Oppenheimer in Oppenheimer. Kitty was a German-born biologist and botanist who eventually got her American citizenship and married J. Robert Oppenheimer (her second husband). She was also a member of the Communist Party.

Matt Damon - Leslie Groves

After his surprise supporting role in Interstellar, Matt Damon reunites with Christopher Nolan to play Lieutenant General Leslie Groves, a high-ranking a United States Army Corps of Engineers officer who directed the Manhattan Project. Damon has been a top-flight movie star for more than 25 years, best known for Good Will Hunting and The Bourne Identity. Earlier this year he starred in Air.

Robert Downey Jr. - Lewis Strauss

In Oppenheimer, ironically, Marvel's biggest star (Robert Downey Jr.) gets his biggest post-Iron Man role in a movie helmed by DC's biggest director (Christopher Nolan). RDJ plays Lewis Strauss, a businessman, philanthropist, and former U.S. Secretary of Commerce who at one point was the driving force in the hearings that had J. Robert Oppenheimer's security clearance revoked. In addition to his role in the MCU, Downey Jr. is known for movies like Tropic Thunder, Zodiac, and Sherlock Holmes.

Josh Hartnett = Ernest Lawrence

Josh Hartnett was one of the biggest stars of the late '90s and 2000s, and with the help of Black Mirror and, now, Christopher Nolan, he's having a 2023 renaissance. Hartnett plays Ernest Lawrence, a nuclear physicist and Nobel Prize winner who worked on the Manhattan Project. He's best known, probably, for movies like The Faculty, Pearl Harbor, Black Hawk Down, and 40 Days and 40 Nights.

Kenneth Branagh - Niels Bohr

Christopher Nolan and Kenneth Branagh reteam for the third time in Oppenheimer after previously collaborating on Dunkirk and Tenet. In Oppenheimer, Branagh plays Niels Bohr, a Danish scientist who was part of the British mission to the Manhattan Project. Branagh is one of our most accomplished actors, and recently won an Oscar for writing Belfast.

David Krumholtz - Isidor Isaac Rabi

David Krumholtz has been a fantastic character actor for decades, appearing in work as wide-spanning as the beloved holiday comedy The Santa Clause (as Bernard the Elf) to HBO's porn drama The Deuce. In Oppenheimer, he plays Isidor Isaac Rabi, a Nobel Prize-winning physicist who was a longtime friend of Oppenheimer's.

Benny Safdie - Edward Teller

Josh and Benny Safdie (commonly known as "The Safdie Brothers") made their names behind the camera as directors (on hit movies Good Time, starring Robert Pattinson, and Uncut Gems, starring Adam Sandler), but Benny has recently begun to show his stuff in front of the camera as well, appearing in highly-regarded movies like Licorice Pizza and Are You There God? It's Me Margaret, In Oppenheimer he plays Edward Teller, a physicist who worked underneath Oppenheimer before eventually testifying negatively against him. He later became known as "the father of the Hydrogen bomb."

Jack Quaid - Richard Feynman

Jack Quaid has become a favorite of genre fans in recent years, appearing in the new Scream movies, leading The Boys, and now voicing Clark Kent/Superman in the new animated series My Life With Superman. He gets a shot to work with one of the most acclaimed modern directors in Oppenheimer, where he plays Richard Feynman, a physicist who worked loyally under the titular leader of the Manhattan project.

Josh Peck - Kenneth Bainbridge

Former child star Josh Peck (Drake and Josh, Max Keeble's Big Move, The Amanda Show) has popped up here and there in recent years (including a memorable run on How I Met Your Father), but he gets a chance on a major stage by playing Kenneth Bainbridge in Oppenheimer. Bainbridge was a Harvard physicist who ran the Manhattan Project's Trinity nuclear test, famously telling Oppenheimer afterwards: " "Now we are all sons of bitches."

Dane DeHaan - Kenneth Nichols

As one of our most underrated actors, it's exciting to see Christopher Nolan give Dane DeHaan a role in Oppenheimer. DeHaan initially burst to fame in the 2010s in the awesome superhero story Chronicle; he would later appear in movies like The Place Beyond the Pines and A Cure for Wellness. While he had a great turn in 2022's The Staircase on (HBO) Max, his role in Oppenheimer as civil engineer/army officer Kenneth Nichols is a major one.

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