Christopher Nolan has an ‘absurd’ on-set rule, and even Anne Hathaway got called out over it

Christopher Nolan is known for making some of the biggest films in Hollywood, but it turns out he’s just as serious about what happens behind the scenes and on the set too.

From Oppenheimer to The Odyssey, the Oscar-winning director has an ‘absurd’ rule that nobody on set is allowed to break. And it has nothing to do with acting.

Ugg boots are basically banned from Christopher Nolan’s sets

Christopher Nolan has a "no UGGs on set" policy for a very simple reason: The “signifier of modernity” could take actors out of the reality the crew is trying to create for the film. pic.twitter.com/VsrMH9cFIS

— CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) July 21, 2026

If you were planning on turning up to one of Christopher Nolan’s film sets in a comfy pair of Uggs, you would be making a big mistake. Speaking to CBS Mornings, the director revealed he has a strict “no Uggs” rule because he believes modern footwear can actually ruin the atmosphere on set.

He explained, “Sometimes actors will turn up because the footwear hurts them, so they’ll turn up in these big, fluffy, comfy slippers. Something like that can actually weirdly take you out of reality.”

As weird as it sounds, Nolan says the rule isn’t really about the boots themselves. Instead, it’s about helping actors stay immersed in the world of the film, especially when they’re working on huge historical epics like The Odyssey.

He further explained that even small modern distractions can break the illusion. Nolan said, “If someone’s eating a bag of chips off camera or something, there’s certain things that just remind you that you’re in the real world as opposed to the world we’re trying to create for the actors.”

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He added, “I want to stay in the moment. We want the actors to stay in the moment. And so for me, the Ugg boots are a signifier of modernity. Absurd though that is.”

Anne Hathaway and Emily Blunt have both been caught out

via Universal Studios

It turns out the rule isn’t just for The Odyssey. Nolan has actually been enforcing it for years. Speaking to USA Today, Emily Blunt previously revealed she got a very obvious look from Nolan whenever she wore her Ugg boots between takes while filming Oppenheimer.

She said, “I’ve never known anyone to detest a pair of Uggs more than Chris Nolan. It’s a testament to how he wants everything on set to look as it would (in the period).”

She added, “If there’s a plastic bottle in the shot, he’s like, ‘Ugh!’ He hates to even look at it. I would sometimes put on some Uggs and I’d just get this withering look down to my feet. It was like being in The Devil Wears Prada again. Just the look down to the shoes. And I’d go, ‘I know, I know. But I’m just sitting on an apple box in the background today!'”

Anne Hathaway also had a very similar experience while filming The Odyssey. She said, “I did show up one day with Uggs, and he looked down and went ‘Nope.’ I just went ‘No problem!’ And they never came back.”

So, phones are fine, but Uggs and a bag of chips is where he draws the line? Right.

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