Midway Real Life Cast and Character Guide

From the director of Independence DayRoland Emmerich In the middle of the way is an underrated recent war film with an unbelievable cast of recognizable movie stars. Based on real-life events from World War II, including the attack on Pearl Harbor and the Battle of Midway, the 2019 film explores the lives of several characters fighting in the Pacific Theater. Like many of the best war films of all time, Emmerich's film features an immensely talented roster of names in its cast, from stars of superhero franchises to actors from popular TV shows.

Roland Emmerich In the middle of the way is not the first film to tackle the famous World War II naval battle, following the 1976 film of the same name starring Henry Fonda, Robert Mitchum, Toshiro Mifune and more. Despite having to compete with such legendary names, the 2019 film boasts higher reviews, including an impressive 92% score from over 10,000 viewers on Rotten Tomatoes. Rant Screen In the middle of the way Critic praises the cast, saying they are “solid in their roles and honor the real people they are portraying.” Most of his characters are distinct figures with fascinating lives to explore.

Ed Skrein as Lieutenant Dick Best

Born March 29, 1983

Actor: Ed Skrein is a British actor and rapper who has appeared in numerous film and television projects since 2012. The first role that gained him worldwide recognition was playing Daario Naharis in the 3rd season of Game of Thrones. Since then, he has found success in blockbuster films such as Dead Pool, Alita: Battle Angeland Zack Snyder Rebel Moon franchise for Netflix. He was praised in 2023 for his role in the World War II drama All the light we can't seeand in 2025, he will appear in the cast of Jurassic World Rebirth.

Character: Ed Skrein In the middle of the way The character is Dick Best, a US Navy dive bomber pilot who led his squadron to sink two aircraft carriers in the real-life Battle of Midway.

Patrick Wilson as Lieutenant Commander Edwin Layton

Born July 3, 1973

Actor: Patrick Wilson is an American actor from Virginia who began his career in Broadway shows such as Oklahoma! From him His film and television career began with an Emmy-nominated role in the HBO miniseries Angels in Americaand since then he has become widely recognized for his characters in horror franchises and films based on DC comics. He played leading roles in Insidious series and The Conjuration universe, which included his directorial debut in 2023 for Insidious: Red Door. In the comic book movie world, he played Nite Owl in Watchmen as well as Ocean Master on Aquaman films.

Character: Patrick Wilson plays Edwin Layton, a U.S. Navy rear admiral who is remembered for his work as an intelligence officer.

Luke Evans as Lieutenant Commander Wade McClusky

Born April 15, 1979

Actor: Luke Evans is a Welsh actor who began his career on stage before moving into film in 2010. Clash of the Titans restart. He has been since has had success in several film franchises, playing Bard the Bowman in Peter Jackson's The Hobbit trilogy, Owen Shaw in Fast and Furious 6Spending in live action Beauty and the beast film, and the titular vampire in Dracula Untold. On television, he was successful with the AMC series The Alienistand, most recently, the action thriller series Echo 3.

Character: Luke Evans plays Wade McClusky, a U.S. Navy aviator whose decision-making has been credited with “deciding fate“from the Battle of Midway.

Aaron Eckhart as Lieutenant Colonel Jimmy Doolittle

Born March 12, 1968

Actor: Aaron Eckhart is an American actor from Cupertino, California who has been working in films and TV shows for over three decades. His first role to gain widespread recognition was in the Oscar-nominated film Erin Brockovichand received a Golden Globe nomination in 2006 for her role in Thank You for Fumar. However, his most recognized role is that of Harvey Dent, also known as Two-Face, in 2008. The Dark Knightwhich is often considered one of the best films of all time. In it, he gave iconic movie quotes like “Either you die a hero or live long enough to become the villain.”

Character: Aaron Eckhart plays Lieutenant Colonel Jimmy Doolittle, an American military general and aviation pioneer who is among the most celebrated historical figures featured in In the middle of the way.

Nick Jonas as aviation engineer Bruno Gaido's companion

Born September 16, 1992

Actor: Nick Jonas is a better American singer and actor known for his music in the boyband Jonas Brothers, alongside his brothers Kevin and Joe. Before the band started, Nick Jonas found roles as a child actor on Broadway before breaking into films and TV shows years later. He appeared in 40 episodes of the TV show Kingdomas well as the Jumanji films alongside Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. For a side career, his filmography isn't that bad.

Character: Nick Jonas plays Aviation Machinist Fellow Bruno Gaido. Gaido's real-life story is one of tragedy, having been taken prisoner during the Battle of Midway and later executed.

Dennis Quaid as Vice Admiral William “Bull” Halsey

Born April 9, 1954

Actor: Dennis Quaid is an American actor from Houston, Texas who has been working in film for almost five decades. He appeared in countless successes throughout his career, from The right thing to Dragon Heart to Far from the sky. Although his career has wavered in the 21st century, Dennis Quaid has returned to form in 2024 with prominent roles in The substance and the titular role in the presidential biopic Reagan. On television, he starred in shows such as Goliath, Lawmen: Bass Reevesand will appear in the series Happy face in 2025.

Character: Dennis Quaid plays Vice Admiral William “Bull” Halsey, one of four officers to achieve the rank of five-star fleet admiral in the U.S. Navy.

Midway Cast and Supporting Characters

Darren Criss as Lieutenant Commander Eugene Lindsey: Darren Criss is an actor and singer best known for his roles on the hit series Happiness and The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Storyfor which he was nominated for an Emmy and a Golden Globe.

Alexander Ludwig as Lieutenant Roy Pearce: Alexander Ludwig is a Canadian actor who most audiences will recognize as Cato de The Hunger Games. He recently starred in the wrestling drama Jump alongside Stephen Amell.

Woody Harrelson as Admiral Chester W. Nimitz: Woody Harrelson is an American actor who has starred in several iconic film franchises, from Star Wars to The Hunger Games to Planet of the Apes. Some of his best roles include True Detective, There is no country for old peopleand Three billboards outside of Ebbing, Missouri.

Etsushi Toyokawa as Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto: Etsushi Toyokawa is a Japanese actor known primarily for his work in his native country, with his most celebrated roles including film. love letter, There is no way back, and Hanako.

Tadanobu Asano as Rear Admiral Tamon Yamaguchi: Tadanobu Asano is a Japanese actor who had roles in Thor franchise and, recently, the popular FX series Shogun.

Mandy Moore as Anne Best: Mandy Moore is an American singer and songwriter who has also appeared as an actress in titles such as The Princess Diaries.