"I smell meme!" 😂 Christopher Nolan and Robert Downey Jr. on the weirdest Oppenheimer fact ever

Robert Downey Jr. and director Christopher Nolan join BBC Radio 1's film critic Ali Plumb to talk about new movie Oppenheimer. Chris reveals why he brought RDJ in to play Lewis Strauss, and looks back at his time as Iron Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And Robert explains the experience of working on a Nolan movie.
#Oppenheimer #ChristopherNolan #RobertDowneyJr
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[@bbcradio1]

Watch Ali's chat with Cillian Murphy for Oppenheimer here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z2K8q5WBns2Cjbc

[@ssotkow]

Wow, this short chat was jolly fun!

[@ikejugend]

Nolan is so comfortable with Robert, I’ve never seen him so happy. Their interviews are the best.

[@user-bx7xt6dp7n]

and what is so interesting that when robert with the actors crew and nolan he gets not really comfy

[@littlelilacbunny]

@@user-bx7xt6dp7nOoh what do you mean

[@Ksu_The_Volunteer]

@@user-bx7xt6dp7nI don't think so. It seems like he becomes just more quiet and humble when he's with other guys)

[@dawkosvk]

Hopefully he'll cast him in all of his future projects.....even if as a cameo

[@007Julie]

@@dawkosvkI’m hoping that Nolan keeps Downey as a regular just like he did with Michael Caine. Imagine the possibilities!

[@DanielFernandez]

Love the fact that Nolan is still wearing his Hamilton, the Interstellar watch.

[@valkyrst620]

It's a wonderful watch. Prefer the 38 over the 42 though.

[@RushQuacker]

​@@valkyrst620what's the difference?

[@Jhitch19]

​@@RushQuackerits 42mm case diameter Vs 38mm. The one in the film is 42 but most people's wrists seem to be too small to wear the 42 comfortably

[@VikB1288]

@@Jhitch19 it’s not even really small wrist as much as the lug length on the 42mm is just nuts. The 38mm wears more like a 40-41mm ordinary watch given the lug length.

[@Jhitch19]

@@VikB1288 the watch got fucking teeth it's crazy

[@thedarkknight2221]

Can Robert Downey Jr. continue working with Christopher Nolan on every future movie he makes? Not just because they work perfectly together, but because they’re phenomenally entertaining to watch together on the press junket!🤣🤣

[@samburnscomposer]

When Nolan likes an actor he has a habit of bringing them back so here's hoping!

[@paullo8268]

Nolan is gonna shoot a grand scale, high budget, no cgi, and mind blowing comedy for Robert.

[@bala2k2]

Must be scientific comedy...

[@alex0589]

same with blunt/damon honestly

[@omingole7304]

I'm waiting for a DiCaprio-Nolan collab after Inception!

[@dukenguyen3424]

I'm just going to keep praising Ali for every interview ever because he is just amazing. Celebrities love him as they should.

[@stellangios]

I keep watching these interviews even when I have no plans to see the thing 😂 That good. (His Ted Lasso stuff got me to watch that, but it still counts...)

[@dukenguyen3424]

@@stellangios same. I had no intention to watch Barbie but his rapport with Margot Robbie through that and previous interviews and the clear admiration and joy she shows made me appreciate Ali so much.

[@AnthonyHortin]

As soon as I see a BBC Radio 1 vid with Ali in my feed, I hit play!

[@wcdcsgo8278]

He’s why I’m subscribed

[@sanidasifali5603]

And here he just had 5 minutes, still he delivers :)

[@koushikraja331]

Whoever's idea it was to pair up Nolan and RDJ for press deserves an Oscar. Never seen Chris be super cheerful or at ease like this.

[@samanthaberendt]

never seen Chris so happy....I'm actually confused and happy myself?

[@samarjeetsule]

Watching Mr. Nolan be this happy and cheerful, cracking jokes, laughing at them all throughout the promotions of OPPENHEIMER is the real gift that he's given to us.

[@ssotkow]

Yeah, cause his film has made over $200M domestically and internationally on a 100m budget. Nolan has every right to exhale with relief.

[@haywoodjblome4768]

​@@ssotkowRelief? With a 100 million dollar budget this film could never have flopped, I doubt that he even lost sleep for a second thinking it wouldn't recoup the money invested

[@ssotkow]

Easy for an armchair critic to say@@haywoodjblome4768

[@smittyvanbonjohnson]

I’ve never seen Nolan laugh so much unless he is with RDJ 😂

[@thedynamiclife2485]

That’s so true😂

[@oliverwilffreeman]

In Nolan We Trust

[@stevemuzak8526]

Robert Downey Jr. is the best example of a person who hit rock bottom and then change his life upside down and now he's one of the greatest actors of our generation.

[@Mors_Umber]

The Jeremy Irons comparison is actually pretty accurate and you can't unsee it once you see it lol

[@BasketBowlers]

There are scenes in Batman v Superman and Justice League where I thought RDJ had jumped off of the MCU ship.

[@evasirova3985]

I couldn't work out who is it, JDR is reminding me of, finally I know now

[@92MRtylerdurden]

i thought it was him in the trailers xD

[@CrimsonCharan]

So I wasn't insane! I thought the exact same thing during the movie's first 5 minutes.

[@noodle123ify]

Love watching RDJ listen to Nolan, as he smiles you know he has a dozen funny jokes running through his head but he has too much reverence for Nolan to interrupt him.

[@Missjunebugfreak]

Damn I really wanted this interview to be at least 20 mins long. You can tell they're all having fun, especially RDJ. And it just had me smiling the whole time, which is a huge credit to your interviewing skills Ali.

[@Comporio]

Maybe the reason they are having so much fun is because its 5 minutes 😮

[@GauravSharma-dy8xv]

Watch the wired interview of Nolan and RDJ

[@AH-te5gs]

@@Comporio This is probably the hundredth interview of that day. I don't think that interpretation works. It's just Ali who's bringing the knowledge and the original questions and remarks, which makes Chris and RDJ enjoy the moment as well. That response to the Jeremy Irons praise, my god!

[@Missjunebugfreak]

@@GauravSharma-dy8xv I've seen that interview and I really loved it! One of the best Wired interviews for sure.

[@gear5soul]

You want to bring an introvert (Christopher Nolan) out of their shell. Pair them with an extrovert (RDJ) and you’ll get the dream team.

[@viceviner1194]

I've binged ALL the Oppenheimer cast interviews and it's mind-f-blowing how much they praise each other and just cant stop...these are all legends of our generation mind u...Matt Damon, ever so funny and jolly, do not forget he has been in the business since forever...he's a writer-director-producer himself..not to mention his acting....No words required for Cillian...Emily blunt is a legend herself...and RDJ...i mean...💁🏻‍♂️

[@salmanghori7181]

SAME...literally same. The level of respect and admiration they have for each other and the way they talk about each other, as if they are not fucking brilliant contemporary icons themselves, is just beautiful. If someone talked about me like that, I would be floored.

[@LuigiGamesful]

One of the things I love from Barbenheimer is the fact that everyone who is involved in it says it's a pleasant and fun experience making the movie. Pretty refreshing since there are so much BTS drama in movies recently, especially in animated ones.

[@salmanghori7181]

@@LuigiGamesful agreed. That’s what Cinema should be like

[@Andrew-Antioch-Kim]

It's refreshing to see a different side of Chris Nolan, who is an absolute genius!

[@TV-zi6fb]

Ali getting up laughing and just folding at the joke. RDJ is one of a kind 😂

[@giuliadibenedetto7780]

Robert Downey Jr is such a good actor. He is not just iron man. Happy that Nolan chose him

[@alficammy6159]

Yeah I found his potential sometimes is really wasted during his time with MCU because he really a charismatic person and can act any role outside his of MCU movies imo. That's why I'm glad Nolan pick him because anyone would unleash their full potential when work with Nolan.

[@samf.s.7731]

"you can watch Oppenheimer at the same time you walk it" 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@gauravgummaraju]

I love how RDJ gets Nolan to inject a little more of his personality into the interview. Thank you Ali Plumb, once again

[@namikazelevi]

Chris Nolan and RDJ are the best duo for 2023😂

[@dasupertramp5855]

Nolan teasing Downey is so adorable 😊 They seem to have great mutual respect for each other.

[@KIWITALKZ]

Ali is one of the best interviewers, very articulate, well prepared, makes every guest no matter who it is feel at ease, doesnt take himself seriously and doesnt ask stupid cliche questions.

[@xplaybwoix]

Not always true. He asks dumb stuff to Cillian

[@Cole-ossalReviews]

​@@xplaybwoixNo he doesn't. He always hits his mark with interviews. One of the greatest interviewers.

[@Pete_Finch]

Nolan definitely has his favorites, and they rarely disappoint. I'd expect to see RDJ in as many more Nolan films as he wants

[@1zxtv]

I sincerely hope RDJ joins Nolans little ensemble. Like how he's worked with Cillian for two decades, Caine, Anne Hathaway, Oldman etc. He was incredible in Oppenheimer, he adds so much nuance to the characters he plays, to be THE face of a character more so than anyone else in my opinion but to be able do these roles and seamlessly fall into his character is impressive.

[@omarpuig1]

Robert Downy Jr was outstanding in Oppenheimer

[@guerillagorilla4423]

Cillian was even better

[@siddharthiyer2177]

RDJ just nailed his role!! What a phenomenal acting!! At many moments he overshadowed Cillian. Like Heath in the Dark knight?!

[@perrytheplatypus42]

I don’t think he ever overshadowed Cilian, but his performance was still amazing

[@DaConquerorWarlord]

Ali is on a roll, first an interview with Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling now He's interviewing Robert Downey Jr and Christopher Nolan

[@prathamnaik8501]

RDJ is extreme in this film. Just a legend

[@NM-hq1io]

Watched this on the weekend, couldn’t believe the performance RDJ pulled out after being iron man for so long - what an actor, when you got it you’ll always have it

[@omidjami6430]

I’m so happy to live in a time where I witness these two men’s work…

[@mariamtchokho7499]

The movie was phenomenal, Cillian proved he is one of the best actors of our generation, as well as Robert. Both will receive their first Oscars.

[@brandedamv]

This comment aged extremely well 🔥

[@rfm9535]

This is a duo I never expected. I hope RDJ leads a Nolan film in the future.

[@julijangrajfoner1730]

RDJ and Chris are the duo that we never knew we needed it.

[@RealTalkWithSSG]

Nolan has always been a pretty serious guy most of the time, to see him open up and be at ease, is just adorable! RDJ has that effect on people I guess, they should do more interviews together. ❤😂

[@robertJ14]

Wow having someone who loves movies do the interviews for movies. So simple but something which surprisingly makes BBC and Ali unique

[@himanshuverma1747]

Why it feels like nolan just finds his long lost bff. Love this duo

[@thegamingeconomist3831]

I love Ali Plumb, you always get something different from the standard Hollywood interview, and the guests always look like they're having a great time.

[@OwocowyMr]

I'd never think Christopher Nolan and RDJ would make such a fun duo. Now I hope they'll work on some more movies together!

[@LIMONITELIMON]

Nolan And RDJ is the best Bromance I've seen in life...... They are just two greats together 🤝🏻

[@i_am_ravs]

Seen the movie just hours before heading for work and it IS a masterpiece. Everyone was at the peak of their performance. Both Cillian and RDJ were brilliantly contrasted in terms of character. Movie to me is 200/10

[@JamesExcell-InterJex]

RDJ hopefully will be a lead role in the next Nolan film...because these interviews are as entertaining as the film itself. XD

[@jamesgardinerartwork]

A person who can give a great interview gets the best out of the people they are talking to. Keep them coming BBC 1!

[@Cornberry]

Man RDJ was incredible in his role. Scene stealer really. Great actor to pair with Cillian.

[@jjstarrprod]

Having the Dark Knight's director and Iron Man, the 2 most influential comic book movies of all times (one being widely touted as the best comic book movie of all times, the other having kickstarted the MCU) being interviewed together 15 years later will never cease to blow my mind !

[@shanmukh747]

1:35 that's gold 😂👏

[@aaronryan8048]

Only Ali can make such a poised person like Nolan laugh and make him so comfortable

[@yarrowness]

Just see how happy those three boys are! Cheers me up big time. Thank you, Ali, always.

[@jonlpage]

"Thank you, that will never leave me." 😂

[@fahvm4362]

Robert Downey Jr is always charming 🙏🏻.

[@robotsex111]

I hope RDJ is in every Nolan film going forward so we can get more of these two together!

[@Imran-Desk]

Hope RDJ gets his first Oscar.

[@toms18]

Nolan : "I wanted to see him lose himself in a character" **Sgt. Lincoln Osiris has entered the chat**

[@KingMuttley]

Such a shame Ali only got 5 minutes with them. I feel like somewhere down the line, both Nolan and Robert will remember how enjoyable of an interview this was and want to do something more down the line. Still, this was a great 5 minutes, amazing to see genuine laughter bounce around the room

[@peterskorec8246]

Nice! I was happy enough when RDJ came back to the press world with this movie. And I’m glad he stopped by and talked to Ali as well!! Super enjoyable interview as always

[@jaipadkid]

It's really cool to see Nolan laughing

[@prajwalm.s7976]

Great performance by RDJ

[@spoileralertbymac]

RDJ is perfect balance to Nolan. Oh yeah, I smell meme is already a meme in itself lol

[@GomuGear4]

From the clips they showed you might think all he says is "I am Iron Man" like he's Groot or something 😆

[@bbcradio1]

😬

[@Hello-hello-hello456]

Turg good turg smart

[@johnjones8026]

watched this last night, and wow... what an incredible film! acting was amazing, story was amazing... gonna get oppenheimer's book, its just fascinating

[@MosesMatsepane]

RDJ was perfect in this role. This movie was a perfect Nolan film. I know some people are disappointed because they didn't get a Fincher style story telling from this film. But for me, it was perfect, minus the "romance" scenes...it was uncharacteristic of Nolan. Edit: I watched Schindler’s List for the first time this weekend. I was wrong in stating that the Romance is a minus. The sex scene looked similar to the one in Schindler’s List, in-fact I noticed that Nolan took a lot of inspiration from Spielberg’s film.

[@zeracohw]

Who is in those scenes that everyone talks about ? Is it Cillian ? Why are they awkward? Still haven't watched but don't mind a bit of spoilers. I just need to be mentally prepared

[@adityashukzy]

@@zeracohw Cilian and Florence. Apparently there's quite a bit of (possibly gratuitous) nudity on the part of the both of them.

[@MosesMatsepane]

@@zeracohw Yeah there’s bare breast nudity, which is awkward when you’re watching it with other people at the cinema. There’s also another Scene in a boardroom, that was also full on nudity on both Cillian and Florence.

[@hemishrp]

​@@MosesMatsepaneWhy, though? I find it quite the opposite of awkward. It's a biopic of J. R. Oppenheimer, it was inevitable that Nolan put it in. If you're discomforted by the nudity, I suppose you should've watched it in Muslim countries like Malaysia, etc.

[@MosesMatsepane]

@@hemishrp I didn’t expect it, so I didn’t know how to react. I was not mentally prepared for it. I didn’t have an issue with it Morally, it was just socially awkward for me. I’ve never been in a situation where I had to watch a nude sex scene with a lot of strangers.

[@RanjanKumar-bu7ws]

Perfect antagonist for a perfect film

[@YnotNomis]

As amazing as the direction and acting that's in this this movie...which is outstanding all around...this movie reminded me just how amazing of a dramatic actor Robert Downey Jr. is! His performance, as limited as his time is on screen, were outstanding!!!

[@andrewburgemeister6684]

RDJ was a great addition to Oppenheimer, not that I don’t like Iron Man/Marvel, but just that it’s nice to see a change of pace in terms of roles his doing and can show he can do pretty diverse sort of roles.

[@safaabdus8364]

Ali needs to start his own talk show man. he'd be great

[@esdraslopez4658]

I have a feeling RDJ is gonna be the star in the next Nolan movie, or his new lucky charm like Michael Caine

[@kfitz2711]

I was thinking the same thing.

[@s4mcote]

Man I really hope Downey Jr. will be in most future Nolan projects. Nolan seems to LOVE the guy and Downey’s portrayal of Strauss was amazing to watch.

[@adrianbarac3063]

Ali Plumb and Graham Norton must be the most peerlessly entertaining interviewers working today.

[@CallMeCJorDandy]

Glad to hear Robert Downey Jr. getting into meme culture. I take that as my lifetime compliment 😆

[@simonpollen4939]

Except for the brevity (seriously - talk to their publicist!!) I once again found it so enjoyable that not only did you ask intelligent questions but that the answers from Nolan were so interesting that RDJ is quite happy to sit back and listen. So 3 people passionate about film having and an inciteful conversation. Superb

[@jeromequitoriano]

I never thought that these two would be a great dynamic duo!

[@souvikmondal6161]

is it just me or Nolan and RDJ really seem to click together ? Here's hoping we see them work together again.🤞

[@yolanda_pchy]

Always love Ali’s interviews, so authentic and filled with cinematically relevant questions. So satisfied as a cinephile myself to see Chris in this interview, and I’ve never seen him laugh so much and so laid back! So entertaining to watch 😂😂 also Robert is one of a kind 😂

[@DerekDeVries]

Ali is the best - he's so prepared, so passionate, and even the smallest relevant detail doesn't escape his attention (from which some of the best responses are mined). He's the Christopher Nolan of interviewing.

[@raghumurthy1]

Won't be surprised if RDJ will be the main lead in Nolan's next

[@senshai1267]

Nolan and Downey , polar opposites and just too much fun !!

[@kianostad]

I love the fact that Nolan is more focused on thinking about and directing the outcome (in the radio version), than the interviewer is on mentioning Robert's name.

[@saranshagrawal773]

This has gotta be one of the best interviews ever 😂

[@AnthonyJPiccione]

Love how I’ve already seen this masterpiece in IMAX twice (seeing it in IMAX 70mm for third time I hope) but we’re STILL getting treated to more quality Nolan content lol

[@dasupertramp5855]

IMAX audio quality is noticeably better, you'll hear all of the dialog clearly

[@tonyhailstone]

This is the first time I've ever seen Nolan smile, even laugh!

[@andrewoodsspiderman4220]

Robert Downey Jr. was the scene Steeler, he became the character i hope he win a oscar for this performance and Emily Blunt was also great in Oppenheimer i wish she was in a little more but still a great performance

[@ScarlettJ1221]

3:52 Christopher Nolan with everything he does

[@gracemosier8401]

What a pleasant interview. They were so considerate to each other and very cheerful!

[@Noyala92]

Giving Ali only 5 minutes to do this interview is a crime! We need more of his interviewing goodness!

[@cgdropout]

I don't know if anyone noticed or not RDJ and Nolan had some really good interactions in those interviews, I mean i have never seen Nolan having this much laugh in any interview unless with RDJ. I'm pretty sure I will see a Nolan and RDJ film

[@griffinx6]

RDJ was so great in this

[@CelestialFCB]

i'm lucky to be born in this era and witness this extraordinary piece of cinema. this is a milestone in the history of filmmaking. still in awe of the greatness I just witnessed. art at it's absolute finest

[@keight101]

robert's wave at 0:41 is sending me omfg

[@kiaruna]

such an unexpected duo, love them both, such a masterpiece of a movie !!!

[@TheAnugupta]

This interview is amazing love it

[@BlakieTT]

Nolan is incredible, as is RDJ (ofc) and [the movie AND person] Oppenheimer.

[@X13T91]

Robert getting best supporting actor and cillian best actor put my bet on that.

[@dariussalepetru6770]

Same

[@ponfed]

Some of us are so old.. we remember the greatness of RDJ in his youth and in his troubled years and how sad it was to see and his rebirth.. I'm glad that younger people discovered him in his MCU years.. and he was good. But I hope they discover his whole talent.. my génération, when we heard he was gonna be Tony Stark? We said.. well.. if course. He won't even break a sweat.

[@matho1449]

Nolan. That's it. Thats the movie review

[@omaryanjha7969]

Well undoubtedly they are masters at their work but my oh my! Ali Plumb is such a great guy and so handsome. As a journalist myself I love his work!❤

[@ricolives1166]

"We finally got something back from the BBC" - RDJ LMFAO

[@zeynep1O7]

underrated duo

[@hellotorin]

I loved this interview. Bravo!

[@izzybucolo288]

this pairing is incredible like actually perfect. and Ali's questions are so great not even close to surface level even though it's a 5 minute interview. so great

[@karunakaranke]

Fav Actor RDJ👑 From India 🇮🇳

[@kenthefele113]

Ali is the Christopher Nolan of interviews.