What seemed like a jovial, innocent chat, Anne Hathway’s talk with Hugh Jackman for Variety sparked a labor dispute online about the politics of sitting. Discussing her experience working with director Christopher Nolan on 2012’s The Dark Knight Rises, Hathaway told Jackman that Nolan does not allow chairs on his set.
“[Nolan] doesn’t allow chairs,” Hathaway told Jackman. “And his reasoning is: if you have chairs, people will sit, and if they’re sitting, they’re not working.”
Apparently Christopher Nolan doesn’t allow chairs for his actors on set? Watch the full conversation between Anne Hathaway and Hugh Jackman here: https://t.co/Kvj1ouLAwh pic.twitter.com/8suPFCU1yZ
— Variety (@Variety) June 29, 2020
Who knew that Nolan ran his sets like annoying managers run a grocery store with comments like “if you’re leaning, you should be cleaning.”
Many online were rightly alarmed by the news, with criticisms claiming that such behavior was ableist and denied workers basic labor rights. However, while the situation is probably being blown out of proportion a little bit (plenty of people are sharing stories working for Nolan and sharing pictures from people sitting on his sets), it hasn’t stopped the memes from flooding in about Christopher Nolan taking out some aggression on chairs.
Christopher Nolan Doesn’t Allow Chairs On His Sets Because If People Sit, “They’re Not Working”
Robert: Pattinson pic.twitter.com/o2seKy6UO3
— hann (@palisayn_) June 29, 2020
Nolan when he sees someone on set sitting on a chair: pic.twitter.com/xCoAMwboI5
— Liam (@WakeInShite) June 30, 2020
Matthew McConaughey crying in Interstellar scenes where Chistopher Nolan finally let him sit on a chair. pic.twitter.com/UB0prD5HEL
— Walt (@UberKryptonian) June 30, 2020
I thought people were exaggerating about the Christopher Nolan story. But then I went back to look at his films… and seriously. The dude has no chairs on set. pic.twitter.com/pGJuPX2pa1
— Matt Arnold (@mattLarnold) June 30, 2020
Fun fact about this classic moment from Inception:
Actor Leonardo DiCaprio was caught napping on the job in this chair perched above a bathtub. So Nolan, who hates chair for this very reason, hatched an idea for a killer prank to push him in and film the whole thing in slo-mo. pic.twitter.com/gm23f4gUig
— The Oscar Expert (@expert_oscar) June 30, 2020
Nolan: I hate my actors sitting on chairs
Patterson sits in a van: pic.twitter.com/yL2OyPh0m5
— Dhanish (@Dhan_07404) June 29, 2020
— imo (@theIastpoets) June 29, 2020
“It’s simple … we remove the chairs.” – Christopher Nolan, probably pic.twitter.com/whcYHHjIz0
— The Ringer (@ringer) June 29, 2020
Christopher Nolan: “no chairs allowed on set”
Me: pic.twitter.com/VWdN8LIY2e— I don’t know still. (@FabricioJoEs) June 29, 2020
Christopher Nolan when he sees one of his actors with a chair on set: pic.twitter.com/hEGiQ2SBDi
— c (@chuuzus) June 29, 2020
Preschool teacher: “Today we are going to play musical chairs”
Christopher Nolan: pic.twitter.com/Fc1sW9tAMY
— Lunwi (@Lunwi88) June 29, 2020
Christopher Nolan when he sees someone sat on a chair: pic.twitter.com/QMoX1GZhvI
— Lee 🌌 (@LeeOnFilm) June 29, 2020
Twitter: Oh my god! That tyrant Christopher Nolan doesn’t allow chairs on set! How are people supposed to be on their feet for a 12 hour work day?
Bartenders:
— Mike Vanderbilt™ (@MikeVanderbilt) June 29, 2020
Source: https://knowyourmeme.com/editorials/collections/christopher-nolans-anti-chair-allegations-inspire-pro-chair-memes