Apollo 13 (film) - Cast

Cast

Top to bottom: Hanks, Bacon and Paxton, who portray astronauts Lovell, Swigert and Haise respectively.

• Tom Hanks as Apollo 13 Commander Jim Lovell. Jim Lovell stated that before the book was even written, the rights were being shopped to potential buyers and that his first reaction was that actor Kevin Costner would be a good choice to play him. However, by the time Howard acquired the director's position, Costner's name never came up in serious discussion, and Hanks had already been interested in doing a film based on Apollo 13. When Hanks' representative informed him that there was a script being passed around, he had the script sent to him. John Travolta was initially offered the role of Lovell, but declined.
• Gary Sinise as Apollo 13 prime Command Module Pilot (CMP) Ken Mattingly. Sinise was invited by Howard to read for any of the characters, and chose Mattingly.
• Kevin Bacon as Apollo 13 backup CMP Jack Swigert.
• Bill Paxton as Apollo 13 Lunar Module Pilot Fred Haise.
• Ed Harris as White team Flight Director Gene Kranz. Harris described the film as "cramming for a final exam". Harris described Gene Kranz as "corny and like a dinosaur", but was respected by the crew.
• Kathleen Quinlan as Lovell's wife Marilyn.
• Chris Ellis as Director of Flight Crew Operations Deke Slayton.
• Joe Spano as "NASA Director", a composite character based loosely on Chris Kraft.
• Marc McClure as Black team Flight Director Glynn Lunney.
• Clint Howard as White team EECOM (Electrical, Environmental and Consumables Manager) Sy Liebergot.
• Ray Mckinnon as White team FIDO (Flight Dyamics Officer).
• Loren Dean as EECOM John Aaron.
• Xander Berkeley as "Henry Hurt", a fictional NASA Office of Public Affairs staff member.
• David Andrews as Apollo 12 Commander Pete Conrad
• Christian Clemenson as Flight surgeon Dr. Charles Berry
• Ben Marley as Apollo 13 backup Commander John Young
• Brett Cullen as CAPCOM Bill Pogue
• Tracy Reiner as Haise's then-wife Mary
• Mary Kate Schellhardt as Lovell's older daughter Barbara.
• Max Elliott Slade as Lovell's older son James (Jay), who attended military school at the time of the flight.
• Emily Ann Lloyd as Lovell's younger daughter Susan.
• Miko Hughes as Lovell's younger son Jeffrey.
• Thom Barry as an orderly at Blanch's retirement home.

The real Jim Lovell appears as captain of the recovery ship USS Iwo Jima. Horror film director Roger Corman, a mentor of Howard, appears as a congressman being given a VIP tour by Lovell of the Saturn V Vehicle Assembly Building, as it had become something of a tradition for Corman to make a cameo appearance in his proteges' films. The real Marilyn Lovell appeared among the spectators during the launch sequence. CBS News anchor Walter Cronkite appears in archive news footage and can be heard in newly-recorded announcements, some of which he edited himself to sound more authentic.

In addition to his brother, Clint Howard, several other members of Ron Howard's family appear in the movie:

• Rance Howard (his father) appears as the Lovell family minister.
• Jean Speegle Howard (his mother) appears as Lovell's mother Blanch.
• Cheryl Howard (his wife) and Bryce Dallas Howard (his daughter) appear as uncredited background performers in the scene where the astronauts wave goodbye to their families.

Brad Pitt was offered a role in the film, but turned it down to star in Se7en. Reportedly, the real Pete Conrad expressed interest in appearing in the film.

Jeffrey Kluger appears as a television reporter.