John Nolan, veteran actor and uncle of Christopher Nolan, passes away at 87

Veteran actor John Nolan has passed away at the age of 87. The actor was also uncle to directors Christopher and Jonathan Nolan.

Nolan had a storied career working on stage, TV, and the big screen. His most famous roles came from his nephews' projects, as the veteran was known for his turns in the ‘Batman’ trilogy and the TV drama ‘Person of Interest.’

According to a report in the local British outlet Stratford-Upon-Avon Herald, the actor passed away on Saturday, April 11. In addition to his nephews, he is survived by his wife, actress Kim Hartman, whom he married in 1975; their children, Miranda and Tom; and his grandchildren, Dylan and Kara.

John Nolan’s most acclaimed works

Nolan portrayed Wayne Enterprises board member Douglas Fredericks in ‘Batman Begins’ (2005) and ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ (2012), both starring Christian Bale. He also appeared in ‘Following’ (1998) and ‘Dunkirk’ (2017), written and directed by Christopher Nolan.


John boarded the Jonathan Nolan-created ‘Person of Interest’ during its second season in 2013 as the mysterious John Greer, a former MI6 agent now running Decima Technologies and the Samaritan AI, and worked on 28 episodes through the fifth and final season.

John Nolan’s early life and career

John Francis Nolan, the younger brother of Christopher and Jonathan’s late father, Brendan Nolan, was born on May 22, 1938. According to The Hollywood Reporter, he toured Ireland in a “Fit Up” traveling company, studied acting at the Drama Centre in London, and was cast as Romeo opposite Francesca Annis as Juliet at the Richmond Theatre in London. He joined the Royal Court Company before his stint with the RSC, which included turns as Clitus in ‘Julius Caesar’ and roles in ‘The Merry Wives of Windsor,’ ‘Indians’ and ‘The Relapse,’ directed by Trevor Nunn. Later, he was a member of Nunn’s innovative National Theatre ensemble company.