Christopher Nolan, who was born in London to an American mother and a British father, first made the acquaintance of Emma Thomas, his future wife, at University College London.
According to a statement released by the British government on Thursday, Christopher Nolan, the Oscar-winning filmmaker of Oppenheimer, and his wife Emma Thomas, a producer, will be awarded a knighthood and damehood for their contributions to the film industry. Their acknowledgement follows the triumphant Oscar season of their documentary about J. Robert Oppenheimer, the “father of the atomic bomb,” which included seven Oscars, including best film and best director, earlier this month at the Academy Awards.The 53-year-old Nolan had previously received nominations for Dunkirk, Inception, and Memento.
The announcement of their honors came as a bit of a surprise because King Charles III, who bestows the honors, generally gives them out twice a year—once to celebrate the start of the new year and again on his birthday. They are sometimes given out in recognition of exceptional accomplishments, frequently in the fields of sports and the arts.
The British monarch is frequently present when the honors are formally given out at a ceremony held at Buckingham Palace. However, because he is receiving cancer treatment, the king is not performing any royal obligations at this time.
Nolan, who was born in London to an American mother and a British father, first made the acquaintance of his future wife, Thomas, 53, at University College London. Along with running Syncopy, a production firm that has produced several of their successes, they are parents to four children.
Earlier this year, Nolan acknowledged his wife when he accepted the British cinema Institute Fellowship, describing himself as “one of the world’s most innovative and influential film directors.” Thomas “always saw things the same way I did in terms of the importance of the medium,” the filmmaker claimed, thus he never felt alone while creating movies.
It is just a little over a century ago that director Christopher Nolan addressed the crowd at this year’s Academy Awards. “Consider being present a century from now in painting or theater,” added Nolan, who won a Best Picture prize alongside his producer and wife. “Where this amazing voyage will go from here is unknown. But it means the world to me to know that you believe I have a significant role in it.
