Christopher Nolan

Christopher Nolan has been married to his college friend Emma Thomas since 1997. They have four children. Fiercely protective of his privacy, Nolan hardly discusses his personal and family life with the media.

Christopher Nolan was born in London, UK, on 30th July 1970. His father Brendan James Nolan was an advertising executive, while his mother Christina was a flight attendant as well as an English teacher. He has two brothers.

Influenced by the ‘Star Wars’ film released in 1977, a seven-year-old Nolan began shooting short films with his action figures using a camera he borrowed from his father.

He studied at the Haileybury and Imperial Service College and later went to the University College, London, where he studied English literature. During his college years, he made the short films ‘Tarantella’ and ‘Larceny’. He made another short film ‘Doodlebug’ in 1997. The psychological thriller film, although only three minutes long, portrayed a deep spiritual meaning.

Christopher Nolan directed his first feature film 'Following' in 1998. The story was about a young writer who follows strangers around the streets of London, only to be drawn into the world of crime. The film was inspired by Nolan's experience of living in London. Though the film was made on a small budget, it received huge popularity due to its uniqueness. It won several awards as well.

After the success of ‘Following', Nolan directed the psychological thriller 'Memento'. The film was about a man who suffers from anterograde amnesia, the inability to form new memories. The film was a commercial success. It earned Nolan two Oscar nominations.

He next directed the film 'Insomnia', which released in 2002. It was about two homicide detectives investigating a murder. The film did well commercially.

Nolan's popularity reached new heights after he directed the 2005 superhero film 'Batman Begins'. It was based on the famous DC Comics superhero Batman and was the first film of The Dark Knight Trilogy. It told the story of Bruce Wayne's journey of becoming Batman and fighting the villains. The film was a huge success and received an Oscar nomination.

He then directed the film 'The Prestige' which was released in 2006. It was based on a novel of the same name by Christopher Priest. The story was about two magicians in London who share a strong rivalry. The film was a commercial success and was also nominated for an Oscar.

Christopher Nolan first came to popularity with the 2000 American psychological thriller film ‘Memento’. The film was about a man who suffers from the inability to form new memories, and is hunting for the person who killed his wife and is also responsible for his condition. The film starred actors Guy Pearce, Carrie Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano and Mark Boone Junior. The film won numerous awards along with two Oscar nominations. It was a commercial hit as well, grossing more than four times its budget.

Nolan’s popularity grew after he directed the 2005 superhero film ‘Batman Begins’. The film starred actors Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Liam Neeson, Katie Holmes and Gary Oldman. The film was based on the popular superhero Batman and tells the story of how he lost his parents, and later trained hard to become a superhero and fight crime. The film did well commercially, grossing $374 million on a budget of $150 million. It was the first film of ‘The Dark Knight’ trilogy.

Another one of Nolan’s significant works is the 2010 sci-fi thriller ‘Inception’. The film was about a professional thief with the ability to infiltrate someone’s subconscious. With Leonardo DiCaprio in the lead role, the film also included Ken Watanabe, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard and Tom Hardy. The movie won a total of 94 awards, which included four Oscars. The movie was also appreciated by critics and is considered to be one of the best science fiction films ever made.