Florence Pugh has admitted Christopher Nolan apologised to her over the size of her role in Oppenheimer.

The Oxford-born actress plays Jean Tatlock, with the film showing her affair with theoretical physicist Oppenheimer, played by Cillian Murphy.

The biopic, which told the story of the development of the first atomic bomb, also starred Cillian Murphy, Matt Damon, Rami Malek, Emily Blunt, Robert Downly Jr and Kenneth Branagh.

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An interview with MTV UK has since gone viral on TikTok with the 27-year-old film star explaining why the renowned director apologised about the size of the role.

The interview took place ahead of Oppenheimer's release last month.

Ms Pugh said: "I didn't really know what was going on or what was being made but Chris really, really wanted me to know that it wasn't a very big role and he understands if I don't want to come near it.

"And I was like: 'Doesn't matter, even if I'm a coffee maker at a café in the back of the room let's do it.'"

Oxford Mail: Florence Pugh as Jean Tatlock and Cillian Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer

She continued: "We met for a drink in New York at the time... and it was just one of those bizarre moments in your career where you're like: 'I'm meeting Christopher Nolan, oh my god.' 

"And I remember he apologised about the size of the role and I was like: 'Please don't apologise!'"

Ms Pugh went on to say how Nolan wanted her to see the script first before deciding due to "the sizing thing" of the role.

She added: "He said: 'We'll send you the script and honestly you just read it and you decide if it's right, I completely understand the sizing thing.' 

"And I remember that evening when I got the script being like: 'I know I'm going to do it.' And yeah, it was huge."

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Oxford Mail: Florence Pugh arrives for the UK premiere of Oppenheimer, at the Odeon Luxe, Leicester Square in

Ms Pugh received rave reviews for her performance including from her co-star Mr Murphy.

He described her performance as "just amazing” before adding "I have loved Florence's work since Lady Macbeth and I think she's f**king phenomenal.

"She has this presence as a person and on screen that is staggering. The impact she has [in Oppenheimer] for the size of the role, it's quite devastating."

Ms Pugh was among the stars who staged a walk-out from the London premiere of the film to ‘write their picket signs’ after a strike announcement from Sag-Aftra the day before the screening.

The film’s premiere was brought forward by an hour ahead of a Sag-Aftra press conference in Los Angeles, which later declared the US union had agreed to strike.

The anticipated announcement cast a shadow over the London film premiere at the Odeon Luxe in Leicester Square, with Ms Pugh and other stars not in attendance for the screening of the film.