Down Angle Symbol A symbol in the form of an angle pointing downwards. Austin Butler as Gale Cleven and Barry Keoghan as Curtis Biddick in Apple TV+'s Masters of the Air. Apple TV+
- Apple TV+'s Masters of the Air follows the 100th Bomb Group during World War II.
- It is based on real pilots and their missions, as told in Donald L. Miller's book of the same name.
- Austin Butler and Barry Keoghan both have roles in the series. Here's who else is in the cast.
Apple TV+'s Masters of the Air follows the pilots and navigators of the 100th Bomb Group on their missions in Europe during World War II.
The unit was nicknamed the “Bloody Hundredth” because so many pilots died in combat, meaning there's plenty of action, drama and tragedy to be expected in the series.
Produced by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, the show is based on Donald L. Miller's book “Masters of the Air: America's Bomber Boys Who Fought the Air War Against Nazi Germany.”
The “Masters of the Air” cast all play real-life airmen who flew in the 100th Bomb Group, making the film a spiritual sequel to other critically acclaimed historical war dramas such as “Band of Brothers” and “The Pacific.”
Here's who's in “Masters of the Air.”
Austin Butler
Austin Butler at a screening of “Masters of the Air” at 92NY in New York and as Gale Cleven in the show. Gary Gershoff/Getty Images/Apple TV+
“Elvis” star Austin Butler leads the series as Major Gale Cleven, one of the first pilots of the 100th Bomb Group. He maintains a close friendship with Major John Egan, played by Callum Turner.
Butler is also best known for his role as Tex Watson in Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and will also appear in Dune: Part Two as villain Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen.
Callum Turner
Callum Turner at a screening of “Masters of the Air” at 92NY in New York and as Major John in the show. Gary Gershoff/Getty Images/Apple TV+
British actor Callum Turner plays Cleven's best friend, Major John Egan, who is also one of the founding members of the 100th Bomb Group.
Turner recently worked with director George Clooney on 2023's The Boating Boys, while Harry Potter fans will recognize him as Theseus Scamander in the Fantastic Beasts series.
Barry Keoghan
Barry Keoghan at the UK premiere of “Masters Of The Air” at Picturehouse Central in London and as Lt. Curtis Biddick on the show. Karwai Tang/WireImage/Apple TV+
While audiences are still obsessed with Barry Keoghan's role in Saltburn, he follows up with Lt. Curtis Biddick in Masters of the Air.
The Irish star's character has a certain swagger to it, making him a lively presence in the squadron. Keoghan previously appeared in The Banshees of Inisherin, The Batman and The Killing of a Sacred Deer.
Ncuti Gatwa
Ncuti Gatwa arrives at the GQ Men Of The Year Awards 2023 at the Royal Opera House London and as 2nd Lt. Robert Daniels in Masters of the Air. Mike Marsland/WireImage/Apple TV+
“Sex Education” alum Ncuti Gatwa plays Lt. Robert Daniels, a member of the Tuskegee Airmen. The group consisted of the first black airmen to serve in the United States Armed Forces.
Gatwa recently appeared on screen as one of the Kens in Barbie alongside Ryan Gosling and Kingsley Ben-Adir. In 2023, Gatwa also took on the role of the Doctor in the long-running science fiction series Doctor Who.
Rafferty law
Rafferty Law at the UK premiere of “Masters Of The Air” at Picturehouse Central in London and as Sgt. Ken Lemmons in “Masters of the Air”. Karwai Tang/WireImage/Apple TV+
Masters of the Air is one of the first major projects to star newcomer Rafferty Law, and he plays mechanic Sgt. Ken Lemmons in the Apple TV+ series.
The 27-year-old actor is the son of Jude Law and Sadie Frost. In 2021, he starred in Sky Cinema's Twist – a modern take on Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist, alongside the likes of Michael Caine and Lena Headey.
Anthony Boyle
Anthony Boyle at the UK premiere of Masters of the Air at Picturehouse Central in London and as Major Harry Crosby in Masters of the Air. Karwai Tang/WireImage/Apple TV+
Anthony Boyle plays Major Harry Crosby, the series' narrator and a navigator. In a cruel twist of fate, he suffers from airsickness and vomiting during some of his missions.
While Boyle has starred in films such as The Lost City of Z, Tolkien and Tetris, he is best known for his role as Scorpius Malfoy in the stage production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.
Sawyer Spielberg
Sawyer Spielberg at the British premiere of “Masters of the Air” at the Picturehouse Central in London and as Lt. Roy Frank Claytor in Masters of the Air. Karwai Tang/WireImage/Apple TV+
Yes, Sawyer Spielberg is the son of popular Hollywood director Steven Spielberg, who is also a producer of Masters of the Air. That’s right, we have a Nepo baby in the cast!
Joking aside, the 32-year-old plays Lt. Roy Claytor, one of the co-pilots who occasionally flies with Cleven.
Nate Mann
Nate Mann at the UK premiere of “Masters Of The Air” at Picturehouse Central in London and as Major “Rosie” Rosenthal in “Masters of the Air”. Gary Gershoff/Getty Images/Apple TV+
Midway through the season, Nate Mann joins the Masters of the Air when Major Robert “Rosie” Rosenthal is assigned to the 100th Bomb Group because they are getting a group of new teammates.
Fans of “Ray Donovan” may remember Mann, who played the young version of Liev Schreiber’s title character in season seven, as well as the role of Brian in “Licorice Pizza.”