Chastain: Nolan is an inspiration

Jessica Chastain has described Christopher Nolan as an “inspiration”.

The 38-year-old actress worked with the British star on 2014 science fiction movie Interstellar. And on Sunday night, Jessica had the honour of presenting her former colleague with the best director gong at the Jameson Empire Awards in London.

“Inspiration is not a word that can be used lightly," she said before the 44-year-old took to the stage.

“Since his debut in 1999 he has inspired audiences. Never once has he underestimated our ability to follow complex ideas.”

Christopher first came to attention with the independent films Following and 2000’s Memento. Jessica made sure to highlight how easy the star made the transition from these kinds of movies to Hollywood big time.

“He's shown that the leap from independent cinema to blockbuster filmmaking need not be that huge,” she added. “He's a traditionalist in the finest sense, but also incredibly progressive, and he's inspired studios, making them realise that investing in a single filmmaker's vision is not an impossible gamble.”

Before welcoming Christopher to the stage, the Zero Dark Thirty actress also highlighted the impact he had had on popular culture.

“Lastly, he's inspired the lexicon. His name has become a verb: 'to Nolanise', defined by the Urban Dictionary as taking an unrealistic idea for a film and making it work in a realistic world,” she said.

In return, the father-of-four praised his wife Emma and also made sure to acknowledge Jessica and how she had impacted on his career.

“I'd like to talk about inspiration, and my main inspiration is Emma. She's produced all the films you saw there and a couple of others. She's been there from the start and nothing would be possible without her,” he said. “And thanks to Jessica and all the actors I've worked with over the years, who inspire me.”