About Those 'Oppenheimer' Cameos...

Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer is being praised by critics and movie-goers alike for a number of reasons, from its mind-blowing use of practical effects to its portrayal of the moral dilemmas facing theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer throughout the film. Cillian Murphy is already getting Oscar buzz for his work as the titular character, and while his performance is indeed the standout, we have to acknowledge just how stacked with celebrities the rest of the cast is, even in regards to smaller cameo roles. Here’s some familiar faces to look out for on the big screen!

1. Josh Peck 

Former "Drake and Josh" child star Josh Peck takes on a more serious role in this film, portraying Manhattan Project scientist Kenneth Bainbridge. He also has one of the most objectively important roles in the story, being the one to push the button to set the bomb off during the Trinity Test.

2. Rami Malek

Oscar-winning actor Rami Malek’s big scene in the third act is one of the most talked-about moments in the film on social media! Moviegoers have been praising his performance as David Hill, a physicist who testifies to the Senate about former Atomic Energy Commission chairman Lewis Strauss. 

3. Casey Affleck

Another actor with an Oscar at home featured in this historical drama is Manchester by the Sea star Casey Affleck, who plays Boris Pash, a brash army chief that interrogates Oppenheimer about his ties to the Communist Party and loyalty to the United States.

4. David Krumholtz

David Krumholtz’s role in Oppenheimer is a departure from his comedic background. He plays Nobel Prize-winning physicist Isidor Rabi, a consultant on the Manhattan Project and a calmer, less finicky friend of Oppenheimer that brings a spirit of rationality to the work they’re doing together. Christmas movie fanatics will, of course, recognize Krumholtz from his role as Bernard the Elf in the Santa Clause movies!

5. Emma Dumont

Fans of the 2021 coming-of-age film Licorice Pizza will get a kick out of seeing Emma Dumont on the big screen again! Dumont portrays Oppenheimer’s sister-in-law Jackie, who spends the film trying to rope him into the Communist Party. 

6. Benny Safdie

But Emma isn’t the only Licorice Pizza actor you’ll spot! Benny Safdie is also featured. Safdie plays Edward Teller, a renowned physicist who starts off as a confidant of Oppenheimer but sours toward him as the gap in their opinions on the hydrogen bomb widens.

7. Tom Conti

Tom Conti nabbed the coveted role of Albert Einstein, who prompts Oppenheimer on more than one occasion to look inwards about the science he’s doing and its consequences. Viewers might recognize Conti from his role in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises, where he plays a prisoner who assists Batman. 

8. Flora Nolan

While not as recognizable a cameo as some others, Christopher Nolan’s own daughter Flora has one of the most jarring. When members of his community are celebrating Oppenheimer’s success, he zones out and begins to see visions of the horrific consequences that come with atomic destruction. Flora portrays a girl whose face is burned by an explosion, a casting decision Nolan says was made with the intent of underscoring that creating destructive power doesn’t make those close to you immune from being harmed by it.

Oppenheimer is in theatres now!