His biggest break yet! Josh Peck is set to star in the highly anticipated 2023 film Oppenheimer, directed by Christopher Nolan. Keep reading to uncover details on the Nickelodeon alum’s character and what he’s said about his big break.
Who Does Josh Peck Play In ‘Oppenheimer’?
Josh plays Kenneth Bainbridge in Oppenheimer, which is a biographical film about J. Robert Oppenheimer, the father of the atomic bomb.
The former Drake & Josh star’s character is based on a real person, an American physicist at Harvard University who worked on cyclotron research. He was the director of the Manhattan Project’s Trinity nuclear test, which took place on July 16, 1945. He famously told Oppenheimer after the test, “Now we are all sons of bitches.”
Following the success of the nuclear test, Bainbridge dedicated his life to ending the testing of nuclear weapons. He died in 1996.
After Josh was cast in the Oscar-buzz film in March 2022, he posted a screenshot of a headline of his casting announcement. He wrote via Instagram, “Never thought Drake and Josh and Christopher Nolan would be in the same sentence but I’m here for it. Excited to have a small part in this incredible ensemble.”
The film stars Cillian Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer, Emily Blunt as Kitty Oppenheimer, Robert Downey Jr. as Lewis Strauss, Florence Pugh as Jean Tatlock, Matt Damon as Leslie Groves and Rami Malek as David Hill.
During a 2022 interview with “Chicks In the Office” podcast, Josh expressed his disbelief at starring in such an epic film. “I have this really small part in this Christopher Nolan movie and I was on set two days ago, going like, ‘I’m the guy from Drake & Josh, like, what am I doing here?’ But I’m soaking it up.”
ICYMI, Josh starred in Nickelodeon hit series Drake & Josh from 2004 to 2007 alongside Drake Bell.
In a 2015 interview with People, Josh spoke about the hard work it took to follow his acting dreams. “When you’re a cute kid and maybe have some natural talent, it seems quite easy … But this takes an incredible amount of work and focus and dedication. You have to weather the times when you’re not working. There’s a lot of rejection. I understood that early on. I never let any of that deter me from my main focus — my passion.” Despite the pressure, he explained that he “was just totally in love with coming to work every day.”
Love J-14? Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel for fun, exclusive videos with your favorite stars.
