Which actor played Charles Lindbergh in The Spirit of St. Louis?

James Stewart played Charles Lindbergh in The Spirit of St. Louis. Billy Wilder’s 1957 biographical drama follows Lindbergh’s preparation for and completion of his historic 1927 solo flight across the Atlantic.

The screenplay was adapted partly from Lindbergh’s Pulitzer Prize-winning 1953 autobiography. Stewart was 47 when filming began, while Lindbergh was 25 during the flight, so Stewart followed a strict diet and exercise regimen and had his hair lightened for the role. Stewart also had a personal connection to aviation: he was an experienced pilot and later served as a U.S. Army Air Forces bomber pilot during World War II.

The film recreates the difficult construction of the Ryan NYP aircraft, Lindbergh’s departure from Roosevelt Field, and his arrival at Le Bourget Airport after roughly 33 hours in the air. A common mix-up is confusing the actor with Lindbergh himself: Stewart portrayed him, while the real aircraft, the Spirit of St. Louis, is preserved at the National Air and Space Museum.