It’s fair to say that Ryan Coogler has more than carved out his path as a filmmaker within the Hollywood landscape. While the 39-year-old filmmaker only has five films under his belt, the titles that make up his filmography – like Black Panther and Sinners – have left indelible marks on pop culture. Despite his immense success, though, Coogler is always eager to give credit to others for how they’ve helped him. Among those to lend a hand has been Christopher Nolan, who bestowed some truly sweet advice upon Coogler.
During a segment on Criterion’s “Closet Picks,” Coogler affectionately referred to Nolan as a “mentor,” and he hasn’t held back about discussing the Oppenheimer helmer’s impact on his life and career. Coogler’s relationship with Nolan came up again when he participated in a panel with co-producer Sev Ohanian at Bloomberg Screentime (shared on YouTube). When asked about words of wisdom he’d received from Nolan, Coogler didn’t mention lenses or other technical details. Instead, he discussed something a bit more personal:
