Oppenheimer Cast Next to Real-Life Counterparts
See the "Oppenheimer" Cast Next to Their Real-Life Counterparts
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Downey Jr.'s character, Lewis Strauss, was the Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission, which helped oversee the development of atomic energy. Since Strauss supported the idea of the hydrogen bomb and Oppenheimer opposed it, the two often clashed. Strauss was an influential figure in the 1954 Oppenheimer security hearing, which was an investigation done to determine the physicist's loyalty to the U.S. government. Since Strauss saw Oppenheimer as a security threat, he is often blamed for getting his security clearance revoked.