Christopher Edward Nolan (born 30 July 1970) is an English-American film director, screenwriter, and producer. He is one of the highest-grossing directors in history, and among the most successful and acclaimed filmmakers of the 21st century.
Having made his directorial debut with Following (1998), Nolan gained considerable attention for his second feature, Memento (2000). The acclaim of these independent films gave Nolan the opportunity to make the big-budget thriller Insomnia (2002), and the mystery drama The Prestige (2006). He found further popular and critical success with the The Dark Knight Trilogy (2005–2012), Inception (2010) and Interstellar (2014). His nine films have grossed over US$4.2 billion worldwide and garnered a total of 26 Oscar nominations and seven awards. Nolan has co-written several of his films with his brother, Jonathan Nolan, and runs the production company Syncopy Inc. with his wife Emma Thomas.
Nolan's films are rooted in philosophical, sociological and ethical concepts, exploring human morality, the construction of time, and the malleable nature of memory and personal identity. His body of work is permeated by metafictive elements, temporal shifts, solipsistic perspectives, nonlinear storytelling, practical special effects, and analogous relationships between visual language and narrative elements.
Born Christopher Edward Nolan
30 July 1970 (age 45)
London, England, UK
Alma mater University College London
Occupation Filmmaker
Years active 1989–present
Spouse(s) Emma Thomas (m. 1997)
Children 4
Relatives Jonathan Nolan (brother)
John Nolan (uncle)
Kim Hartman (aunt)