Is Einstein in the Oppenheimer movie? Christopher Nolan’s new movie, Oppenheimer, explores the febrile political atmosphere of World War Two and focuses on the titular physicist’s work on developing and building the first atomic bomb.
Oppenheimer is one of the biggest new movies of the year and comes packed with an enormous Oppenheimer cast, including the likes of Florence Pugh, Robert Downey Jr, Emily Blunt, Kenneth Branagh, and Matt Damon, alongside Cillian Murphy in the title role.
Many of the ensemble play other famous scientists, including Niels Bohr and Richard Feynman, but is Einstein in the Oppenheimer movie and what is his role? With the Oppenheimer release date upon us and set to join the ranks of the best Christopher Nolan movies, let’s take a look.
Is Einstein in the Oppenheimer movie?
Albert Einstein plays a pivotal role in the Oppenheimer movie, with Scottish actor Tom Conti stepping into that famous hairstyle to play arguably the most well-known scientist of all time.
Oppenheimer and Einstein had a connection throughout the former’s career in quantum physics, and one of this year’s best movies based on a true story features numerous scenes of the duo as part of the Oppenheimer true story. There’s also one, very pivotal, exchange that may be fictionalized, which we won’t spoil here.
Einstein had a major role in the US getting involved in the nuclear arms race, penning a letter to President Franklin Roosevelt in 1939, warning of German advancements in atomic weaponry. This letter is credited with pushing America into accelerating the plans that would become the Manhattan project.
So it’s no surprise that Einstein shows up in Oppenheimer for a brief, but important role. For more on the movie, find out why Robert Pattinson got Oppenheimer made and learn about Christopher Nolan’s daughter’s horrific Oppenheimer role. We’ve also answered: ‘who does Florence Pugh play in Oppenheimer?‘ and ‘Is Oppenheimer a black-and-white movie?‘.
Of course, Oppenheimer is only one of the best movies in this summer’s biggest double bill. So check out our Barbie review and take a look at our answer to the big question: should I watch Oppenheimer or Barbie first?