The executive producers behind Band of Brothers and The Pacific have released a new World War II historical drama miniseries, Masters of the Air. Streaming on Apple TV+, here are the major actors and the cast list for Masters of the Air.
All Major Actors & Cast List for Masters of the Air
Austin Butler as Major Gale Cleven
A B-17 Flying Fortress pilot, Gale Cleven was a major in the Army Air Corps from Wyoming who enlisted in the military in March 1940, over a year before the United States entered WWII. When the 100th Bomber Group was transferred to conduct missions based out of England in June 1943, Cleven was placed in command of the unit. During a bombing raid in October 1943, Cleven was forced to land in enemy territory.
Austin Butler got his start starring in children’s and young adult television, including Zoey 101, The Carrie Diaries, and The Shannara Chronicles. After making his Broadway debut in 2018, Butler had a memorable supporting role in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and starred in the biopic Elvis, earning an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. Audiences can next see Butler as Feyd-Rautha in 2024’s Dune: Part Two.
Callum Turner as Major John Egan
Nicknamed Bucky, John Egan was a major in the Army Air Corps from Wisconsin who also enlisted in the military in March 1940. Training alongside his close friend Cleven, Egan was deployed with the rest of the 100th Bomber Group in England in 1943, where he led the first combat mission for the unit.
English actor Callum Turner started his career as a professional model in 2010 before appearing in a number of British television and film productions. After supporting roles in 2015’s Victor Frankenstein and 2016’s Assassin’s Creed movie, Turner starred in 2018’s Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald and its 2022 sequel Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore as Theseus Scamander. Right before joining the cast of Masters of the Air on Apple TV+, Turner starred in the historical drama The Boys in the Boat, recounting the American rowing team’s memorable appearance in the 1936 Summer Olympics in Nazi Germany.
Anthony Boyle as Lieutenant Harry Crosby
The lead navigator for the 100th Bomber Group was Lieutenant Harry Crosby, who enlisted in the Army Air Corps the week after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941. It was Crosby’s expertise that guided the unit toward vital enemy targets across Europe, flying in 32 combat missions throughout the war. Earning two Distinguished Services Crosses, a Bronze Star, and the prestigious Croix de Guerre from the French government, Crosby suffered from severe airsickness despite his extensive experience in the air.
Irish actor Anthony Boyle appeared in a number of supporting roles on film and television before starring in the 2016 West End production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Boyle later had major roles in the 2020 HBO miniseries The Plot Against America and the 2023 film Tetris. Audiences can next see Boyle star in the upcoming Apple TV+ miniseries Manhunt, playing notorious presidential assassin John Wilkes Booth.
Barry Keoghan as Lieutenant Curtis Biddick
The month after the Pearl Harbor attack, California native Curtis Biddick enlisted in the Army Air Corps in January 1940 and eventually rose to the rank of 1st Lieutenant. Biddick piloted a B-17 Flying Fortress, embarking on a dangerous and lengthy mission in Norway, only to crash-land back in Scotland on the return voyage. Less than a month later, in August 1943, Biddick participated in a bombing mission over Germany, which proved a fateful mission for the 100th Bomber Group.
Irish actor Barry Keoghan’s career catapulted in 2017, with memorable roles in the WWII film Dunkirk and psychological thriller The Killing of a Sacred Deer that year. Keoghan starred in the 2021 Marvel Studios film Eternals as the cunning superhero Druig and later had a cameo appearance as The Joker in 2022’s The Batman. Keoghan earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for 2022’s The Banshees of Inisherin and has earned considerable acclaim for his starring role in 2023’s Saltburn.
Ncuti Gatwa as 2nd Lieutenant Robert Daniels
With the latter part of Masters of the Air chronicling the heroic actions of the Tuskegee Airmen, one of the unit’s key figures is 2nd Lieutenant Robert Daniels. Unlike the 100th Bomber Group, which primarily flew B-17 Flying Fortresses, Daniels and his comrades-in-arms flew P-51 Mustangs in combat sorties over Europe.
Before joining the cast of Masters of the Air, Scottish actor Ncuti Gatwa rose into prominence through his starring role in the popular Netflix original series Sex Education, which premiered in 2019. This followed a career of numerous supporting roles on stage and television, with Gatwa beginning his career after graduating from college in 2013. After appearing as one of the Kens in 2023’s Barbie, Gatwa has since starred as the 15th Doctor in the iconic British science fiction series Doctor Who.
Additional Characters in Masters of the Air
With a story that recounts the exploits of the 100th Bomber Group and Tuskegee Airmen in the European Theater, there is a full ensemble of supporting characters throughout Masters of the Air. Here are some of the major cast members of Masters of the Air:
- Nikolai Kinski plays Colonel Harold Huglin. Huglin was the initial commanding officer of the 100th Bomber Group, effectively making him Cleven and Egan’s direct superior at the start of their deployment. The son of eccentric German actor Klaus Kinski, Nikolai has starred in major Hollywood productions, including Aeon Flux and Vikings: Valhalla.
- Stephen Campbell Moore plays Major Marvin Bowman. Nicknamed Red, Bowman served in the 100th Bomber Group, was a constant presence in the unit, and flew in many combat missions. Moore has starred in a number of British film and television projects, most notably the biopic Goodbye Christopher Robin and the Apple TV+ miniseries Criminal Record.
- Sawyer Spielberg plays Lieutenant Roy Frank Claytor. Claytor was Cleven’s co-pilot for much of their time together in the 100th Bomber Group, noted for his quick thinking under enormous pressure. The son of celebrated filmmaker and Masters of the Air executive producer Steven Spielberg, the Apple TV+ miniseries marks his first major on-screen role.Â
- Isabel May plays Marjorie Spencer. Nicknamed Marge, Spencer is Cleven’s love interest back home in the States for the duration of WWII. After her career was jumpstarted by a recurring role in Young Sheldon, May has since starred as Elsa Dutton in Yellowstone spinoffs 1883 and 1923.
- James Murray plays Colonel Neil Harding. Nicknamed Chick, Harding replaced Huglin as the commanding officer of the 100th Bomber and became well-respected by his peers. Prolific in British film and television projects, Murray is best known for starring as Prince Andrew in the final two seasons of The Crown.
And those are all of the major actors and the cast list for Masters of the Air.
Masters of the Air is available to stream on Apple TV+.
