Oppenheimer: Who Does Josh Peck Play In The Film?

At this stage in his celebrated career, Christopher Nolan pretty much has his pick about which projects he wants to bring to the big screen. It would seem he also has his pick of Hollywood A-listers as well. And for proof of that fact, look no further than the ensemble he assembled for his historical epic "Oppenheimer." That ensemble is, of course, fronted by heavy-hitters like Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, and Robert Downey Jr. But scrolling further down the "Oppenheimer" IMDb page reveals a truly astonishing list of supporting players, with names like Florence Pugh, Jack Quaid, Alden Ehrenreich, Jason Clarke, and Kenneth Branagh among them.

Josh Peck is on that list too as he plays Dr. Kenneth Bainbridge in "Oppenheimer." According to the Atomic Heritage Foundation, Bainbridge was a vital member of the team which helped J. Robert Oppenheimer ring in the atomic age with the 1943 Trinity Test. In the film, he's also the guy tasked with pushing the big red button that triggered the fateful explosion. And Peck's largely non-verbal work in the moment brings some serious weight to that unfathomable task.

Per ATH, Bainbridge was a renowned physicist of the age who did groundbreaking work in radar technology before joining up with Oppenheimer and company in Los Alamos, New Mexico. As for Peck, well, it's safe to say "Oppenheimer" was a far cry from the sort of work he did during his days as a beloved Nickelodeon star. 

For those who were trying to place Josh Peck's face during "Oppenheimer," he indeed starred in the Nickelodeon hit "Drake & Josh," which became one of the network's bigger hits of the 2000s. Given the series' Nickelodeon roots, "Drake & Josh" rarely ventured into the realm of heavy drama, however. And if that's your point of reference for Peck, you were no doubt surprised to see him sharing the screen with Cillian Murphy and Matt Damon in a historical drama from Christopher Nolan.

Seems Peck was surprised too, admitting as much during a recent appearance on Travis Chapell's podcast, also noting he felt the pressure to deliver the goods among those stalwarts because their involvement alone meant the film had potential to be truly great. He went on to praise Nolan specifically, noting the heavy work was manageable because, "he's setting you up to be great, so all you have to do is rise to the occasion and be prepared." And once he stepped on the "Oppenheimer" set, Peck admitted the work was a lot like any other gig, adding, "It's just the best version of it."

"Oppenheimer" is, of course, hardly Peck's first venture into heavy drama. The actor earned raves early in his career for his performance in the lauded indie Drama "Mean Creek." He scored more solid notes for his work opposite Ben Kingsley in the 2008 coming-of-age dramedy "The Wackness." Of late, he's been turning heads as one of the potential dads in Hulu's "How I Met Your Father." But after "Oppenheimer," one can imagine a lot more drama in Peck's future.