Jonathan Nolan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jonathan Nolan
Nolan at the 2019 San Diego Comic-Con
Born	(1976-06-06) 6 June 1976 (age 49) London, England
Other names	Jonah Nolan
Citizenship	United Kingdom United States
Alma mater	Georgetown University
Occupation	Screenwriter producer
Years active	1997–present
Spouse(s)	Lisa Joy ​ (m. 2009)​
Children	2
Relatives	Sir Christopher Nolan (brother) John Nolan (uncle) Dame Emma Thomas (sister-in-law)

Jonathan Nolan is a talented writer and producer from both Britain and America. He was born on June 6, 1976. He is known for creating the science fiction TV show Person of Interest (2011–2016) for CBS. He also helped create the science fiction and Western series Westworld (2016–2022) for HBO.

Nolan has worked on many films with his older brother, director Christopher Nolan. Christopher Nolan turned Jonathan's short story "Memento Mori" into the exciting film Memento (2000). The brothers also wrote the mystery film The Prestige (2006) together. They also co-wrote the superhero movies The Dark Knight (2008) and The Dark Knight Rises (2012). Their science fiction film Interstellar (2014) was also a big hit.

In 2024, Jonathan Nolan was an executive producer and directed the first three episodes of the TV show Fallout. This show is based on a popular video game series. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for Memento. He also received Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Westworld for his writing and directing.

Early Life and Education

Jonathan Nolan was born in London, England, on June 6, 1976. He is the youngest of three boys. His father is British, and his mother is American. He grew up spending time in both London and Chicago.

Nolan went to Georgetown University in the United States. There, he studied English. He also wrote for the university's newspaper, The Hoya.

Creative Career

Jonathan Nolan at the Paley Center for Media in 2012

Jonathan Nolan's short story "Memento Mori" became the idea for the film Memento. His brother, Christopher Nolan, directed the movie. Even though the story was not published yet, Jonathan and Christopher were both nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.

In 2005, Jonathan and Christopher Nolan worked together again. They wrote the script for The Prestige. This film was based on a book by Christopher Priest. Jonathan also created the main ideas for six animated short films in Batman: Gotham Knight.

The brothers also wrote the screenplay for the 2008 movie The Dark Knight. This film became a very successful Batman movie. Its sequel, The Dark Knight Rises, later earned even more money.

Television Projects

On February 10, 2011, CBS decided to make Nolan's TV show idea, Person of Interest. The show officially started airing in the fall of 2011. It ran for five seasons. The main actors were Jim Caviezel, Taraji P. Henson, and Michael Emerson. Nolan was an executive producer for the show, along with J. J. Abrams.

Nolan wrote the script for Interstellar, a science fiction movie. The ideas for the film came from the work of a scientist named Kip Thorne. Christopher Nolan helped write, directed, and produced the movie.

Nolan and Lisa Joy wrote a pilot episode for a TV show based on Westworld. This was a 1973 science fiction Western film by Michael Crichton. In 2013, HBO ordered a pilot for the show. Nolan, Joy, and others were executive producers. Nolan also directed the pilot episode.

The pilot was then turned into a full series. Nolan and Joy were the main people in charge of the show. Westworld first aired on October 2, 2016. It was very popular and ran for four seasons.

In 2019, Nolan and Joy signed a big deal to create shows for Amazon Prime Video. One of these shows was The Peripheral. As part of this deal, they also produced the series Fallout. This show is based on the popular video game series.

Personal Life

Nolan (middle) with Evan Rachel Wood (left) and Lisa Joy (right) at the 2017 San Diego Comic-Con

Nolan interviewed by astrophysics professor Janna Levin at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival

When Jonathan Nolan moved to Chicago, he found that having an English accent was not popular. So, he learned to speak like a local Chicago kid.

Nolan is married to Lisa Joy. She is also a writer and helped create Westworld. They have a daughter and a son together.

Filmography

Film Writer

• Memento (2000)
• The Prestige (2006)
• The Dark Knight (2008)
• The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
• Interstellar (2014)

Film Producer

• Reminiscence (2021)

Film Story Ideas

• Batman: Gotham Knight (2008) (Direct-to-video)

Television Work

See also

In Spanish: Jonathan Nolan para niños