Summary

• Apple's new miniseries Masters of the Air, produced by Gary Goetzman, Tom Hanks, and Steven Spielberg, features a massive cast of over 275 actors.
• The series, released on January 26, 2024, draws thematic and stylistic parallels to Goetzman, Hanks, and Spielberg's previous critically acclaimed war series, The Pacific and Band of Brothers.
• The primary stars of Masters of the Air are Austin Butler, Callum Turner, Barry Keoghan, and Anthony Boyle.

The new Apple miniseries Masters of the Air features a massive cast of characters with more than 275 actors attached. The highly-anticipated series is produced by Gary Goetzman, Tom Hanks, and Steven Spielberg and draws close thematic and stylistic parallels to their previous critically acclaimed war series, The Pacific and Band of Brothers. Initial reports of a third WWII miniseries from the team arose in 2012.

The series was confirmed to be in development at HBO in 2013 but Masters of the Air took awhile to happen due to production delays and concerns about the budget. In 2019, Apple purchased the rights to the miniseries based on the 2006 book Masters of the Air: America's Bomber Boys Who Fought the Air War Against Nazi written by Donald L. Miller. The series has been adapted for the screen by John Orloff, who wrote the scripts for two episodes of Band of Brothers.

Austin Butler As Major Gale 'Buck' Cleven

Active Since 2005

Actor: Butler, who was born in Anaheim, California, first rose to prominence in the 2010s with leading roles in The Carrie Diaries and The Shannara Chronicles. However, Butler has become famous more recently for his authentic portrayal of music legend Elvis Presley in Baz Luhrmann's 2022 biopic Elvis, which Tom Hanks also appears in. His earliest projects include Nickelodeon series like iCarly and Zoey 101.

Character: Austin Butler plays one of the leading roles in the WWII miniseries: the bright-eyed Major Gale 'Buck' Cleven. Gale Cleven, the real-life airman, is portrayed as a cool and collected major with incredible flying skills. The true historical figure was born in 1914 and is a native of South Dakota. Following the Second World War he went on to earn a Ph.D. in Interplanetary Physics.

Callum Turner As Major John 'Bucky' Egan

Active Since 2010

Actor: Callum Turner stars alongside Butler as Major John 'Bucky' Egan. Turner grew up in London, England and earned his big break in Hollywood when he starred alongside Eddie Redmayne in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018) and Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (2022) as Theseus Scamander. Turner later appeared in 2020's Emma as Frank Churchill, and acts alongside Joel Edgerton in George Clooney's 2023 historical sports film, The Boys in the Boat.

Character: Turner's character in Masters of the Air, John 'Bucky' Egan, is a brave airman with a big personality that, at times, gets him into trouble. The real historical figure he's based on was born in 1915 and ed away in 1961. Following WW2, Egan continued to serve in the Air Force until his death, after which he was awarded the Legion of Merit posthumously.

Barry Keoghan As Lt. Curtis Biddick

Active Since 2011

Actor: Barry Keoghan plays Lt. Curtis Biddick in Masters of the Air. The 31-year-old actor from Dublin, Ireland got his start after appearing in Yorgos Lanthimos' The Killing of the Sacred Deer, and later, received an Oscar nomination for Best ing Actor in 2022's The Banshees of Inisherin. Keoghan's other notable films and television series include Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk (2017) and HBO's Chernobyl (2019). Keoghan also briefly portrayed the Joker in a post-credits scene of 2022's The Batman and appears alongside Jacob Elordi in 2023's Saltburn.

Character: In Masters of the Air, Lt. Curtis Biddick is a New York-bred pilot who isn't afraid of risk. The real Lt. Curtis Biddick was not actually born in New York, but was raised in Wisconsin. He later lived in California.

Anthony Boyle As Major Harry Crosby

Active Since 2013

Actor: Anthony Boyle portrays Major Harry Crosby in Masters of the Air. Though Boyle first garnered fame for his theatre performances, namely originating the role of Scorpius Malfoy in the West End's Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, the Irish actor later made his big break with 2019's Tolkien. Boyle's most prominent and recent projects include Derry Girls and The Plot Against America. He is also starred as John Wilkes Booth in the television series, Manhunt.

Character: In Masters of the Air, Major Harry Crosby is an airsick navigator who becomes integral to the 100th. The real-life airman was born in 1919 and ed away in 2010, and outside his time as an airman, he was a renowned professor and author. His memoir, the 1993 book A Wing and a Prayer, was used by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks as source material while researching for Masters of the Air.

Nate Mann As Major Robert Rosenthal

Active Since 2019

Actor: Nate Mann appears in Masters of the Air as Major Robert Rosenthal. He made his film and television debut in 2020 portraying a teenage version of the titular protagonist in Showtime's Ray Donovan. He also appeared as Brian in Paul Thomas Anderson's 2021 film Licorice Pizza. Mann's appearance as 'Rosie' in Masters of the Air marks his fifth onscreen appearance, as he only recently graduated from Julliard in 2019.

Character: The real-life version of Nate Mann's Masters of the Air character, Major Rosenthal, is an ace WW2 pilot with an incredible legacy. Born in 1917, he received both the Distinguished Service Cross and two Silver Stars. He flew 52 missions during the war, surviving being shot down twice. Notably, he was also an assistant prosecutor during the Nuremberg Trials following the surrender of Nazi , and interrogated the head of the German Air Force Hermann Göring.

Kai Alexander As Sergeant William Quinn

Active Since 2015

Actor: English actor Kai Alexander portrays Sergeant William Quinn in Masters of the Air. Alexander is relatively new to acting, having started his career in 2015 with several minor television roles. His big break came in 2017 when he played then reprised his role as Jeffrey Beasley in Catastrophe. Masters of the Air, along with his recent role as Richard Branson in Pistols, are his most significant roles to date.

Character: Alexander's character, Sgt. William Quinn, is an airman who finds himself in danger when he evacuates his damaged airplane. He lands in Belgium, where he meets up with of the guerrilla resistance against the occupying Nazi forces.

Ncuti Gatwa As 2nd Lt. Robert Daniels

Active Since 2013

Actor: Ncuti Gatwa plays 2nd Lt. Robert Daniels in Masters of the Air. The Rwandan-Scottish actor initially earned his big break playing Eric Effiong in all four seasons of the popular Netflix series Sex Education. He also played a Ken in Greta Gerwig's hit summer 2023 movie Barbie and as the Fifteenth Doctor in the long-running series Doctor Who. He is the first black actor and the first actor not born in the United Kingdom to play the coveted part.

Character: The real-life airman played by Ncuti Gatwa, Robert Daniels Jr, was shot down in 1944 though he managed to survive. He was held as a prisoner of war by the Nazis until the end of the war in 1945, when he returned to the US. Upon returning he received the Prisoner of War medal, and following his service in the Airforce became an Air Traffic Controller, a career he held until his death in 1987.

Masters Of The Air ing Cast & Characters

Beyond the Bombing Runs: Exploring the ing Cast

Nikolai Kinski As Col. Harold Huglin - Nikolai Kinski is a French-American actor who has done work in both American and German films. He made his acting debut at age 13 in his father's 1989 film, Paganini. He went on to appear in Vikings: Valhalla in 2022.

Ben Radcliffe As Capt. John D. Brady - Ben Radcliffe is a 25-year-old British actor who made his film debut as Young Bruce in 2014's Cuban Fury. He appeared in one episode of the Netflix series The Witcher and also was cast in Anatomy of a Scandal (2022), Hetty Feather (2018), and Ransom (2018).

Rafferty Law As Sgt. Ken Lemmons - Raff Law is the 27-year-old son of actors Jude Law and Sadie Foster. Raff made his film debut appearing as a younger version of his father's character in 2010's Repo Men. He will make his television debut in Masters of the Air.

Fionn O'Shea As Sgt. Steve Bosser - Fionn O'Shea is an Irish actor who began acting in 2007, but who big break came in 2016 when he appeared in the film Handsome Devil. His other projects include Dating Amber (2020) and Normal People (2020).

James Murray As Major "Chick" Harding - James Murray recently starred as Prince Andrew in The Crown season 5. He has also appeared in dozens of British miniseries and TV shows such as Cucumber (2015), Suspects (2016), and Him (2016). Murray previously portrayed military personnel in 2023's biographical war film Lee.

David Shields As Major Everett Blakely - David Shields played Michael Smart in the recent Black Mirror episode Demon 79. He rose to prominence from his performance as Colin Tennant in The Crown season 1. He also appeared in the 2021 war biopic Benediction.

Edward Ashley As Lt. Col. John B. Kidd - Edward Ashely recently appeared as Cambridge in the 2019 historical drama The King starring Timothée Chalamet. He also appeared in The Lost City of Z as well as the 2018 AMC series The Terror (2018).

Adam Long As Capt. Bernard DeMarco - Adam Long rose to prominence as Lewis Whippey in the first season of the acclaimed crime thriller series Happy Valley. He had a small role in Dunkirk and recently appeared as Staff Sgt Greene in the Russo Brother's 2021 film Cherry.

Freddy Carter As Lt. David Friedkin - Freddy Carter is best known for his performances as Kaz Brekker in the Netflix series Shadow and Bone. Carter made his feature film debut as a soldier in 2017's Wonder Woman.

Lauren McQueen As Rose - Lauren McQueen became well-known for her role as Lily in the popular Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks. She has also appeared in the comedy series 4 O'Clock Club and recently in the action series Bulletproof.

Sawyer Spielberg As Lt. Roy Frank Claytor - Sawyer Spielberg is the 31-year-old son of legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg. He has some acting experience as a background actor in 2017's The Post and in an episode of Red Band Society (2014-2015).

Isabel May As Marge - Isabel May is an American actress who got her start playing Veronica Duncan in CBS' Young Sheldon. She later went on to appear in the Paramount+ series 1883 and 1923.

Oaklee Pendergast As Sgt. William Hinton - Oaklee Pendergast is a 19-year-old English actor. He made his on-screen debut back in 2008 when he appeared in one episode of EastEnders. Later, he appeared in the 2012 film, The Impossible, alongside Tom Holland. His other projects include Camping, Marcella, Home, and Archie.

Louis Greatorex As Capt. Joseph "Bubbles" Payne - Louis Greatorex is a British actor who established his career by appearing in the BBC One comedy drama, Last Tango in Halifax, from 2012 to 2020. He has also appeared in The Last Post, Death In Paradise, and The Bay.

Jordan Coulson As Lt. Howard Hamilton - Jordan Coulson is a British actor whose career began in 2012 when he became series regular on Meet the Adebanjos from 2012 to 2014. He went on to make guest appearances in series such as Lovesick and EastEnders. He also made had a small role in 2022's The Batman.

Laurie Davidson As Lt. Herbert Nash - Laurie Davidson is a 31-year-old British actor. His most notable roles include playing a young William Shakespeare in 2017's Will and Mister Mistoffelees in 2019's Cats. He also appeared in Guilty Party and The Sandman.

Emma Canning As Helen - Emma Canning began acting in 2021 with an appearance in the show, The Irregulars. She went on to play Young Antonia in Domina, and had a role in 2022's Trouble in Mind. Masters of the Air is her fourth ever project.

Bailey Brooks As Sgt. Charles K. Bailey - Bailey Brook is a fairly new actor. Masters of the Air is his second on-screen appearance. Previously, he appeared in one episode of 2022's The Rising.

Francis Lovehall As Captain Wendell O. Pruitt - Francis Lovehall is a Jamaican actor. He has appeared in projects such as Death on the Nile, His Dark Materials, and Champion.

Kieron Moore As Sgt. Clifford Starkey - Kieron Moore is a former boxer and English actor. Previously, he appeared in The Sandman, Sex Education, and Emmerdale. He also played the leading role in 2022's Vampire Academy.

John Schwab As Lt. Col. James W. Lann - John Schwab is an American actor who is best known for projects such as The Program, The Catcher Was A Spy, and Dark Money. He has also appeared on Doctor Who and has a long list of voice acting credits.

Sam Hazeldine As Col. Albert Clark - Sam Hazeldine is a British actor. His most notable projects include The Sandman, Peaky Blinders, The Innocents, Rain Dogs, and Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason.

Josh Bolt As Lt. Winifred "Pappy" Lewis - Josh Bolt is an English actor who got his start in 2009 when he starred in the film, The Be All And End All. He has also appeared in Nowhere Boy, Last Tango in Halifax, Shameless, Accused, and Catch-22.

Phillip Lewitski As Lt. Francis Harper - Phillip Lewitski is a Canadian actor best known for his leading role in the 2020 series, Utopia Falls. His other notable work includes Wildhood, Vikings, and Alaska Daily.

Robert Hands As Major Gustav Simoleit - Robert Hands is a British actor who has worked both on-screen and in the theatre. He is best-known for his roles in projects such as Sharpe's Battle, Doctor Who, and The House of Eliott.

Jojo Macari As Capt. Oran Petrich - Jojo Macari is a British actor and musician. He is best-known for his work on Sex Education, The Irregulars, and Harlots.

George Webster As Lt. Glenn W. Dye - George Webster is a British actor and filmmaker. His most notable acting projects include Versailles, The Doll Factory, and My Name Is Emily.

Nancy Farino As Lil - Nancy Farino is a British actress. Before Masters of the Air, she worked on projects such as Casualty and Anatomy of a Scandal.

John Hopkins As Dr. Wendell "Smokey" Stover - John Hopkins is a British actor who is best-known for projects such as Midsomer Murders, Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland, and Poldark. He also does notable voice work.

Louis Hofmann As Ulrich Haussmann - Louis Hofmann is a German actor, best-known for roles in German projects like Tom Sawyer and Land of Mine. He gained recognition for his role in the German sci-fi series, Dark.

Bel Powley As Sandra Westgate - Bel Powley will guest star in Masters of the Air. She is best known for her role in 2020's The King of Staten Island alongside Pete Davidson and for her role on Apple's The Morning Show as Claire Conway.