See how the characters of Oppenheimer look in real life
Compare the appearance of historical figures with the cast of Christopher Nolan's film
Oppenheimer is a film based on real events that aims to tell the story of the "father of the atomic bomb." As a result, its characters are real people who made history. With this in mind, we have compiled a list so you can compare the actors with their real-life counterparts.
J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy)
Cillian Murphy portrays J. Robert Oppenheimer. The actor has worked with director Christopher Nolan before in movies like Inception (2010), Dunkirk (2017), and the Batman trilogy, where he played the Scarecrow. Murphy is also known for his role as Thomas Shelby in the series Peaky Blinders.
Lewis Strauss (Robert Downey Jr.)
Robert Downey Jr. plays Lewis Strauss. He is best known for his role as Iron Man in the Marvel films and has starred in other notable productions such as Chaplin (1992), Natural Born Killers (1994), Zodiac (2007), and Sherlock Holmes in Guy Ritchie's films.
Jean Tatlock (Florence Pugh) Florence Pugh portrays Jean Tatlock
She is recognized for her role as Yelena Belova in Marvel movies and her performances in films like Midsommar (2019), Little Women (2019), Don't Worry Darling (2022), and The Wonder (2022).
Leslie Groves (Matt Damon)
Matt Damon plays Leslie Groves a United States Army Lieutenant General who oversaw the Manhattan Project. Damon is known for his roles in franchises like Ocean's Eleven and the Bourne series, as well as acclaimed films like Good Will Hunting (1997), Saving Private Ryan (1998), The Departed (2006), Contagion (2011), Interstellar (2014), and The Martian (2015).
Kitty Oppenheimer (Emily Blunt)
Emily Blunt portrays Kitty Oppenheimer, the biologist and botanist who was married to J.R. Oppenheimer. Blunt is known for her roles in movies such as The Devil Wears Prada (2006), The Wolfman (2010), Looper (2012), Edge of Tomorrow (2014), Sicario (2015), A Quiet Place (2018) and its sequel, Mary Poppins Returns (2018), and Jungle Cruise (2021).
Albert Einstein (Tom Conti)
Tom Conti plays physicist Albert Einstein, renowned for his brilliant mind. Conti's other notable works include Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (1983), Reuben, Reuben (1983), The Dark Knight Rises (2012), and Paddington 2 (2018). He also had appearances in the TV series Friends.
Edward Teller (Benny Safdie)
Benny Safdie plays physicist Edward Teller, known as the "father of the hydrogen bomb." Safdie is known for his work as a director and actor in movies like Daddy Longlegs (2009), Heaven Knows What (2014), Good Time (2017), and the critically acclaimed Uncut Gems (2019), which stars Adam Sandler.
Kenneth Bainbridge (Josh Peck)
Josh Peck plays physicist Kenneth Bainbridge, who was part of the Manhattan Project. Peck is well-known for his role in the sitcom Drake & Josh. He has also done voice work for various animated films and series, appeared in Mean Creek (2004), and is currently part of the cast of How I Met Your Father.
Ernest Lawrence (Josh Hartnett)
Josh Hartnett plays physicist Ernest Lawrence, a Nobel Prize winner and close friend of Oppenheimer. Hartnett is known for his roles in various horror films and series, such as Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998), The Faculty (1998), 30 Days of Night (2007), Penny Dreadful, and Black Mirror. He also appeared in Pearl Harbor (2001), Black Hawk Down (2001), 30 Days of Night (2007), and others.
Vannevar Bush (Matthew Modine)
Matthew Modine portrays engineer Vannevar Bush. Modine is best known for his role as Dr. Martin Brenner in Stranger Things. His other works include Full Metal Jacket (1987), Cutthroat Island (1995), Jobs (2013), Sicario: Day of the Soldado (2018), and a brief appearance in The Dark Knight Rises as Foley.
Richard Feynman (Jack Quaid)
Jack Quaid plays physicist Richard Feynman, an American Nobel Prize winner. Quaid is known for his role as Hughie Campbell in the series The Boys. He has also appeared in The Hunger Games franchise as Marvel and starred in films like Logan Lucky (2017), Rampage (2018), and Scream (2022). He also voices Brad Boimler in Star Trek: Lower Decks and Strange New Worlds and provides the voice of Superman in My Adventures with Superman.
Oppenheimer is currently playing on theaters.