Christopher Edward Nolan (/ˈnoʊlən/; 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), for which he received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. The acclaim garnered by his 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 Dark Knight Trilogy (2005–2012); Inception (2010), for which he received a second Original Screenplay nomination and one for the Academy Award for Best Picture; and Interstellar (2014). His nine films have grossed over US$4.2 billion worldwide and garnered a total of 26 Oscar nominations and seven wins. Nolan has co-written several of his films with his younger brother, Jonathan, and runs the production company Syncopy Inc. with his wife, Emma Thomas.