Who Plays President Harry S. Truman In Oppenheimer?

Christopher Nolan's "Oppenheimer" is nearly here, with its second trailer spotlighting its star-studded cast. The biographical drama features numerous real-life historical figures, like Cillian Murphy's J. Robert Oppenheimer and Matt Damon's Leslie Grace. Given the movie's focus on the pivotal World War II experiment, someone had to bring President Harry S. Truman to life. Nolan looked toward his long-time connections for the part, with "The Dark Knight" trilogy collaborator Gary Oldman stepping in as the president.

Oldman has had a long and historic career in Hollywood. With too many performances to name, some of his iconic characters include the legendary Dracula in "Bram Stoker's Dracula," Jean-Baptiste Emanuel Zorg in "The Fifth Element," and the big, bad villain in "Air Force One." 

Oldman is also a veteran in bringing historical figures to the big screen. He played Lee Harvey Oswald in Oliver Stone's "JFK," Beethoven in "Immortal Beloved," and won an Oscar for his portrayal of Winston Churchill in "Darkest Hour," so it's safe to say Nolan couldn't have chosen better for "Oppenheimer."

While Gary Oldman is a fantastic choice to play President Harry S. Truman in "Oppenheimer," with a cast that massive, everyone isn't going to get equal screen time. Although the United States spearheaded the creation of the first atomic bomb, Truman didn't play a significant role in the project. So, while Oldman does play the president in "Oppenheimer," don't expect him to be a major character in the movie.

Before filming "Oppenheimer," Oldman appeared on talkSPORT, giving a peak behind the curtain on what to expect from his role in Nolan's upcoming epic. "Chris Nolan is working on a new film about Oppenheimer," the actor said when asked what projects he has in the pipeline. "I have one day [on set] one scene, a page and a half." From the sound of things, Oldman's role as Truman is more or less a cameo, and the fact that Nolan called upon his connection for such a small part is incredible by itself.

Looking at the real-life story of J. Robert Oppenheimer and the construction of the atomic bomb, Truman's cameo will more than likely come during the film's depiction of the Potsdam Conference. Truman and Oppenheimer's relationship was shaky, to say the least, with the president famously calling the physicist a "cry-baby scientist."