Masters of the Air star says it was a privilege to bring to life the heroic stories of WW2 aircrew
Austin Butler has said it was a privilege to bring to life the stories of the "strong, honourable men" who flew during the Second World War in the highly anticipated Apple TV+ Second World War drama, Masters of the Air.
The Oscar-nominated actor, who played Elvis in the 2022 biopic of the same name, portrays Major Gale "Buck" Cleven, a real-life pilot with the 100th Bombardment Group who, after being shot down in October 1943, was held as a prisoner of war in Stalag Luft III.
Both Butler and his co-star Callum Turner, who plays Major John "Bucky" Egan, were bowled over by the bravery of the men they portrayed.
Butler told BFBS: "The fact that both of them joined before Pearl Harbor, so they weren't forced into the military at all.
"They were the type of people who really were focused on what was right and what was good, and protecting their country and protecting values in the world.
"They were strong, honourable men so I feel privileged that we got to bring their story to life."
Masters of the Air is considered by some as the spiritual sequel to Band of Brothers, which followed the heart-wrenching story of Easy Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne Division during the Second World War.
The show is being produced by the same team of executive producers – Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman.
In addition to Butler and Turner, who appeared in Fantastic Beasts: the Secrets of Dumbledore, Masters of the Air features Oscar nominee Barry Keoghan (Saltburn), Ncuti Gatwa (Doctor Who), Anthony Boyle (Danny Boy), Josiah Cross (King Richard), Nate Mann (Ray Donovan), Rafferty Law (Twist) and Branden Cook (Tell Me Lies).
Barry Keoghan shares his admiration for the bravery of WW2 pilots
Barry Keoghan portrays Lieutenant Curtis Biddick, a B-17 Flying Fortress pilot of the 100th Bomb Group who was shot down over Regensburg on 17 August 1943.
Of the airmen's bravery, he said: "It's massive appreciation for these lads.
"You're carrying such a story and you want to tell it right and with respect, and so it was a massive weight on that."
He added: "It was just the mentality that they had.
"Being so young and having friends and seeing them not come back and the loss, everything.
"And just the toughness that was required to keep going on through and stay committed to the mission."
What is Masters of the Air about?
Masters of the Air is based on Donald L Miller’s book of the same name and follows the men of the 100th Bomb Group – affectionately known as the Bloody Hundredth – as they conduct perilous bombing raids over Nazi Germany.
The crews had to contend with a formidable challenge – freezing temperatures, a lack of oxygen and the sheer terror of engaging in combat at an altitude of 25,000 feet.
For these men, the fear of the unknown loomed large because during a battle in the air, the smallest mistake could be deadly.
Bringing to life the psychological price paid by aircrews during the Second World War is at the heart of Masters of the Air.
Some of the men were shot down and captured, while others were wounded or killed. And some were lucky enough to make it home.
A captivating performance
Anthony Boyle – who played the lead in Danny Boy, a feature-length drama telling the story of real-life Iraq War veteran Brian Wood – portrays Lieutenant Harry Crosby.
Mr Crosby, who served as a navigator with 100th Bomb Group, wrote the 1993 memoir A Wing and a Prayer, the compelling story of the Bloody Hundredth.
Despite the veteran's death in 2010, his family felt an immense sense of comfort and connection to him as they watched Boyle's performance as Lt Crosby at the Masters of the Air premiere.
Boyle said: "I met Crosby's sons and daughters the other night at the premiere and one of them said to me 'before we came here, we were told not to think you're going to see your dad back'.
"But they said 'I feel like we've got dad back after watching it on screen'.
"So it was a great full circle moment, you know, really, really, really beautiful."
Ranging in location from the idyllic green villages of southeast England to the harsh reality of a death-infested German PoW camp, Masters of the Air depicts a unique and cruel time in world history.
Every day's a school day
Perhaps more used to film sets and red carpets, the actors had to immerse themselves in US Army Air Force history to ensure they portrayed the real-life characters and their captivating story as realistically as possible.
In addition, the cast worked on creating what Turner called "crew glue" to help build strong bonds of camaraderie similar to that experienced by military personnel.
He said: "We were building this bond and this unity and this togetherness that we would then use to propel ourselves through the next 10 months."
The cast worked with well-known veteran-turned-military-adviser Captain Dale Dye, an experience that particularly excited Butler.
He explained: "I was maybe the most starstruck I've ever been by Captain Dale Dye, because since I was a kid I've watched behind the scenes on Platoon or Saving Private Ryan or any of these films.
"Dale Dye was always the guy that took all the actors to boot camp and was in a way, sort of the inspiration for Tropic Thunder, you know and so I was very starstruck by Dale Dye."
The actors who portrayed the airmen of 100th Bomb Group would spend time learning how to march, salute and operate an aircraft among numerous other skills.
One exercise in particular left an impression on Butler and Turner, the one-time push-up, which saw 100 people attempting one push-up, but each person having their feet raised, some on the shoulders of the people behind them who were also attempting the move.
Butler said: "If one person doesn't do it, it throws it all off."
Masters of the Air will premiere globally on Apple TV+ with the first two episodes of its nine-episode season on Friday 26 January, followed by one new episode every Friday until 15 March.
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