Sully Movie Cast: All Actors and Actresses

Sully, a 2016 biographical drama directed by Clint Eastwood and written by Todd Komarnicki, recounts the story of the emergency landing made by United Airways Flight 1549 on the afternoon of January 15, 2009. While Hanks takes the central role, the other Sully movie cast includes Aaron Eckhart, Laura Linney, and Mike O’Malley. Later in this article, we will go through the entire cast of the film. 

Adapted from the 2009 book Highest Duty by the flight’s pilot, Captain Sullenberger, the film revolves around Captain Sully and his decision to land the aircraft on the Hudson River. The movie also tries to get inside the mind of Sully and explores how he managed to remain composed in such a disastrous situation and managed to pull off America’s greatest aviation miracle. 

Sully Movie Cast

Sully has three main characters, Captain Chesley Sullenberger (Sully), First Officer Jeff Skiles, and Lorraine Sullenberger (Sully’s wife). 

1. Tom Hanks 

Plays the protagonist Captain Sully and delivers a stellar performance, as you would expect from an actor of his caliber. He brilliantly adjusts into the shoes of Sully – an unfazed demeanor, using limited words, and displaying minimal expressions. Hanks truly embodies the soul of the film, skillfully steering it back on track whenever the script seems to lose its way.

2. Aaron Eckhart

Portrays the First Officer Jeff Skiles and does a commendable job. Although his mustache doesn’t seem real, he manages to hold his own alongside Tom Hanks, which very few actors can achieve. While not particularly memorable, Eckhart makes the most of the material provided in the script.

3. Laura Linney

Laura shines in her portrayal of Lorraine Sullenberger, the wife of Captain Sully. Clint Eastwood could give Laura one of her most memorable performances ever, but she is somewhat under-utilized in this film. A gifted actress, but in this film, she mostly appears on the phone, getting worried and shedding tears for her husband’s well-being. Unfortunately, she didn’t get enough screen time that justify her talent, but she makes the best of the role she’s given.

4. Mike O’Malley

Plays the chairman of the investigation run by the National Transportation Safety Board Charles Porter. The character is portrayed with a somewhat antagonistic nature, or at least the director wanted to portray it that way. 

5. Anna Gunn

Anna Gunn has a small but significant role as Dr. Elizabeth Davis, a member of the NTSB inquiry commission. 

6. Jamey Sheridan

Plays Ben Edwards, another member of the NTSB inquiry panel.

7. Patch Darragh

Portrays the Air Traffic Controller Patrick Harten who was on duty and received the first emergency call from Flight 1549.

Here is the remaining of the Sully movie cast:

• Jane Gabbert as Sheila Dail
• Molly Hagan as Doreen Welsh
• Jerry Ferrara as Michael Delaney
• Holt McCallany as Mike Cleary
• Autumn Reeser as Tess Sosa
• Chris Bauer as Larry Rooney
• Max Adler as Jimmy Stefanik
• Michael Rapaport as Pete the Bartender
• Valerie Mahaffey as Diane Higgins
• Wayne Bastrop as Brian Kelly
• Sam Huntington as Jeff Kolodjay
• Molly Bernard as Alison
• Jeff Kober as L. T. Cook

What is Sully Movie About? 

Sully is a biographical drama film which is based on the true events that transpired on the afternoon of 15 January 2009. Captain Sully and First Officer Jeff Skiles were scheduled to fly the Unites Airways Flight 1549 from LaGuardia Airport to Charlotte Douglas International Airport. Soon after the takeoff, the aircraft had a collision with a large group of Canadian Geese and damaged both engines.

Flying at a low altitude of 2.800 ft and not having enough power to make it to any of the airports, Captain Sully made an unusual decision to land the plane on the Hudson River, which seemed to be the safest option of all, yet very dangerous. 

After a miraculous landing, the rescue operation begins, saving all 155 passengers onboard, including the captain and the first officer. 

The rest of the movie revolves around the inquiry made by NTSB and the insurance company, both claiming that the left engine had enough power to reach either of the nearest airports. Sully presents his side of the story during the trial and discards the live simulation runs which proved that he could make a successful landing at the airport. He further argues that simulations don’t give the true-life story and exclude human factors. 

The board reruns the simulations with added time (to make decisions) and all simulations indicate a possible crash before reaching the runway. 

FAQs

1. Is Sully inspired by the true story?

Yes, Sully is based on an event that took place on 15 January 2009, when Captain Sully made an emergency water landing on US Airways Flight 1549. 

2. Who is Sully?

Sully or Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger was the pilot of the United Airways Flight 1549 that made an emergency landing on the Hudson River.

3. How much did Tom Hanks get paid for Sully?

According to several reports, Tom Hanks received $10 million from Portray Capt. Sully in the movie. He also received a share of the movie’s profit, bringing his total earnings to approximately $35 million.

4. How much did Sully make at the box office?

Sully made approximately $125 million at the USA and Canada box office and an additional $115 million at the global box office, taking its total earnings to nearly $240 million. 

5. Where can I watch Sully’s full movie?

Sully is available to stream on all popular OTT platforms, including Netflix, HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video, etc. You can also rent it on YouTube and Google Movies. 

Conclusion

I am sure now you are aware of the entire Sully movie cast, along with the film’s summary. So if you haven’t yet seen this Tom Hanks cinematic masterpiece, go to your favorite streaming platform and experience the thrill and tension of an emergency water landing.

Director Clint Eastwood masterfully navigates the story and creates a captivating drama film based on an event that took only a few minutes to unfold. Yes, it does have some fictionalization, but the overall filmmaking is top-notch. Unfortunately, the supporting cast didn’t get much opportunity to show their talents, but it’s common when you have the likes of Mr. Hanks in the movie.