‘Oppenheimer’ Director Christopher Nolan Reveals Himself to Be a ‘Talledega Nights’ Superfan: “If You Ain’t First, You’re Last”

When you hear the name Christopher Nolan, it’s likely that the renowned film director’s moody, dark epics such as The Dark Knight trilogy or this summer’s existential box office smash Oppenheimer come to mind. 

That’s why it was all the more surprising when Nolan made an appearance on The Rich Eisen Show earlier this summer to promote his summer blockbuster and shared that a favorite film of his to rewatch includes Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, the 2006 sports comedy film starring Will Ferrell about a chaotic yet talented NASCAR race driver. 

“Anything by [Stanley Kubrick], it’s a remote drop. Some of the great comedies too,” he shared over the phone, per Variety. “Talladega Nights, I’m never going to be able to switch that off.”

The 2006 film, co-written by director Adam McKay and Will Ferrell, stars Ferrell in the titular role in the NASCAR comedy. The film, which sports an impressive supporting cast, including John C. Reilly, Amy Adams and Sacha Baron Cohen, grossed over $163 million worldwide. Oppenheimer was written and directed by Nolan, and stars Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Robert Downey Jr and Matt Damon. As of today, it has grossed over $648 million worldwide.

Though Nolan’s films seem to have more aesthetically in common with the legendary Kubrick’s iconic oeuvre, it’s wonderful to hear the filmmaker’s wide variety of taste when it comes to movies.

Though Ricky Bobby doesn’t appear to have much in common with Oppenehimer outside of having a star-studded cast and both critical and commercial successes, both films do paint a portrait of a controversial career man struggling for meaning in his workplace. 

When Nolan shared this surprising remote drop, the host seemed delightedly surprised and asked Nolan if he really meant it. Nolan’s reply? “If you ain’t first, you’re last.”

Oppenheimer is in theaters now.