Which actor played Squadron Leader Roger Bartlett in The Great Escape?

Richard Attenborough played Squadron Leader Roger Bartlett in The Great Escape.

Attenborough’s character, known as “Big X,” organizes the escape effort at Stalag Luft III. Bartlett is based partly on Roger Bushell, a South African-born Royal Air Force officer who helped plan the historical escape and was later executed by the Gestapo.

The film presents Bartlett as the strategic leader behind the three-tunnel operation. He coordinates digging, false documents, clothing, maps, and escape routes while the prisoners try to overcome the camp’s security systems.

The movie was directed by John Sturges and featured an international ensemble including Steve McQueen, James Garner, Charles Bronson, and Donald Pleasence. Attenborough later became a prominent director, making films such as Gandhi and Chaplin. His role in The Great Escape came before that later filmmaking career.