David Dastmalchian on working with Christopher Nolan and Denis Villeneuve: Christopher Nolan and Denis Villeneuve are currently the two big names in the film industry who are making the entire generation of filmmakers proud. Recently, Nolan’s directed film Oppenheimer dominated the 96th Academy Award by garnering 13 nominations, out of which it took home seven trophies, including Best Picture and Best Director for Nolan.
Meanwhile, Villeneuve also has a glorifying career, and his latest film, Dune: Part Two‘s massive critical and commercial success is proof of it.
Both visionary auteurs are celebrated for their unique directorial vision. Like the entire world, they are fond of each other’s work. Actor David Dastmalchian, who has collaborated with both of these legendary directors, shared during an interview what it was like to be part of Nolan and Villenuve’s movies.
David Dastmalchian shares his experience of working with Christopher Nolan and Denis Villeneuve
Actor David Dastmalchian is one of those actors from the film industry who has been a part of both Christopher Nolan’s and Denis Villeneuve’s films. Since he has been a collaborator of both Nolan and Villeneuve, the filmmakers never missed out on the chance to learn about each other’s work through Dastmalchian. The actor revealed that he was Nolan and Villeneuve’s go-to source for learning about each other.
Following the release of his new horror film, Late Night with the Devil, Dastmalchian spoke with The Hollywood Reporter. The actor shared his experience of working with two great filmmakers in the film industry.
Dastmalchian has appeared in several supporting roles in a number of superhero franchises, among which was Christopher Nolan’s 2008 film The Dark Night, in which he played the role of Thomas Schiff. Following that small role in Nolan’s film, he was cast in three of Villeneuve’s films. Recently, he appeared in Nolan’s star-studded Oppenheimer cast as Atomic Energy Committee executive director William L. Borden.
During the interview, when the actor was asked how he felt after reuniting with Nolan after decades, he revealed that he hadn’t “seen him since The Dark Knight other than one chance run-in at a park when I was playing with my kids. So I got a chance to thank him for inviting me to be a part of [Oppenheimer], and then he told me how much he had enjoyed seeing me as Polka-Dot Man in James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad. It made me feel very happy to know that he not only saw it but that he also liked it.”
Dastmalchian then finally talked about his career coming full circle between Nolan and Villeneuve, as he shared that both of the filmmakers are fond of each other’s movies and storytelling techniques. The actor recalled the time when he starred in Villeneuve’s 2013 thriller Prisoner. He said, “One of the first things he said to me was, “I’m really busy prepping this movie, but when we get a chance to talk, I want to hear about your experience on The Dark Knight. I want to know what it was like to work with Christopher Nolan.”
Following that, after a decade, when Dastmalchian reunited with Nolan for his 2023 film Oppenheimer, the circle repeated as when he got a chance to talk to Nolan on the film set, Nolan asked him about his experience of working with Villeneuve. The actor recounted the conversation, saying, “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.”
Being a witness to Nolan and Villeneuve’s bond, Dastmalchian described this bond as “a wildly fascinating life moment. He concluded by saying, “It’s a neat feeling to know that I’ve gotten a peek into their processes and that I know how much they respect and admire one another’s creations.”
