Marking a reunion with Nolan some 11 years after he played Bruce Wayne's cellmate in "The Dark Knight Rises," Tom Conti has forged a collection of notable roles on both the big and small screens.
A Scottish theater actor, Conti made an impression in Ridley Scott's 1977 filmmaking debut, "The Duellists." In 1983, he did notable work alongside David Bowie in the prisoner-of-war drama "Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence" (Bowie would later go on to play another pivotal scientific mind in a Nolan film, Nikola Tesla in "The Prestige"). Showing off considerable range, by the '90s Conti was appearing in a pair of "Friends" episodes as the father-in-law to Ross' second ex-wife, Emily, who claimed he could kill people with his thumb. He also played the judge who sits for an ill-advised haircut in "Paddington 2."
While there are no details on how much screen time Conti will receive in "Oppenheimer," given that Einstein's letter to Roosevelt is frequently cited as the match that lit a fuse for America's study in nuclear weapons, he'll likely be an early presence. "Oppenheimer" opens in theaters on July 21.
