Meet the cast of The Right Stuff on Disney Plus: Actors and the real Mercury Seven comparison
Revisit the space race in this new series from Disney and National Geographic.
The story of the Mercury Seven is about to be retold for a new generation on Disney Plus, with an all-new cast in tow to play the aspiring astronauts.
Set in the 1950s, The Right Stuff depicts the desperate attempt by the US to beat Russia into space, starting as NASA selects seven elite candidates from the armed forces to be considered as potential astronauts. You can read more in our breakdown of the true story behind The Right Stuff.
Disney Plus has assembled a large ensemble cast for this latest adaptation, led by Suits star Patrick J Adams as media savvy marine John Glenn, and Jake McDorman as his rival Alan Shepard.
Who will be the first to make it into space? You'll have to tune in to find out, but in the meantime, get to know the cast of The Right Stuff with our guide to the key players.
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Jake McDorman plays Alan Shepard
Who is Alan Shepard? Shepard is an accomplished test pilot who is selected to be part of the Mercury Seven programme. He's a charming ladies man but dislikes people prying into his personal life, nor does he know how to handle himself with the media. His main rival is John Glenn, with the two of them depicted as frontrunners for the coveted astronaut job.
What else has Jake McDorman been in? McDorman is probably best known for his lead role in Limitless, the short-lived television series based on the Bradley Cooper film of the same name. He also played Mike Pratt in the long-running US remake of Shameless, Jeff in vampire comedy What We Do in The Shadows, and Captain Metropolis in HBO's Watchmen series.
Who played Alan Shepard in The Right Stuff (1983)? Shepard was portrayed by Scott Glenn in The Right Stuff film adaptation, who recently appeared in Marvel's Daredevil and The Defenders as blind ninja Stick.
Patrick J Adams plays John Glenn
Who is John Glenn? Glenn is selected from the Marine Corp to be a part of the Mercury Seven and quickly rises to the challenge. He is very determined to be the first American in space, as he feels it will guarantee his legacy for generations to come. Glenn is also very polished and media savvy, gathering attention from the press with ease.
What else has Patrick J Adams been in? Adams is best known for the role of lawyer Mike Ross in the hit legal drama Suits, which he played across the first seven seasons. He has since appeared in Orphan Black, Legends of Tomorrow and Amazon Prime Video's Sneaky Pete.
Who played John Glenn in The Right Stuff (1983)? Acclaimed actor Ed Harris played John Glenn in the original film, who currently stars in HBO's Westworld.
Colin O'Donoghue plays Gordon Cooper
Who is Gordon Cooper? Cooper is a test pilot in the United States Air Force and the youngest of the recruits to the Mercury Seven. He's skilled at his work but has a troubled home life which could wreck his chances at being selected.
What else has Colin O'Donoghue been in? O'Donoghue is probably best known as Captain Hook in the ABC fairytale series Once Upon a Time.
Who played Gordon Cooper in The Right Stuff (1983)? Dennis Quaid played Gordon 'Gordo' Cooper in The Right Stuff.
Aaron Staton plays Wally Schirra
Who is Wally Schirra? Schirra is a test pilot with a naval background who joins The Mercury Seven.
What else has Aaron Staton been in? Staton had a starring role as Ken Cosgrove in the acclaimed period drama Mad Men. Video game fans may also remember him as Cole Phelps in the 2011 detective game L.A Noire, which was recently re-released on next gen consoles.
Who played Wally Schirra in The Right Stuff (1983)? Lance Henriksen played Wally Schirra in the 1983 film, known for his sci-fi roles in Aliens, The Terminator and X-Files spin-off Millennium.
James Lafferty plays Scott Carpenter
Who is Scott Carpenter? Carpenter is another test pilot with a naval background selected to be a member of The Mercury Seven.
What else has James Lafferty been in? Lafferty is best known for his role as Nathan Scott in the teen drama One Tree Hill, which he played for a period of nine years. He has since appeared in the Netflix horror series The Haunting of Hill House.
Who played Scott Carpenter in The Right Stuff (1983)? Charles Frank played the role in the film adaptation, who went on to be a recurring player on American soap opera All My Children.
Micah Stock plays Deke Slayton
Who is Deke Slayton? Deke is a test pilot hailing from the US Air Force who makes it through the rigorous testing to become a member of the Mercury Seven.
What else has Micah Stock been in? Stock recently appeared in the Amazon Prime Video original movie Brittany Runs a Marathon, and earned a Tony Award nomination for his performance in It's Only A Play on Broadway.
Who played Deke Slayton in The Right Stuff (1983)? Scott Paulin played the Air Force veteran in the 1983 film, who also had roles in Teen Wolf and Turner & Hooch.
Michael Trotter plays Gus Grissom
Who is Gus Grissom? Grissom is a US Air Force pilot and member of the Mercury Seven, who enjoys hunting in his spare time. He keeps out of the limelight in comparison to the likes of fellow trainee astronaut John Glenn.
What else has Michael Trotter been in? Trotter's previous roles include Reno in Marvel's Inhumans and Elden Donahue in the American drama series Underground.
Who played Gus Grissom in The Right Stuff (1983)? He was first portrayed by Fred Ward in the 1983 original.
Jordan Woods-Robinson plays Mike Turley
Who is Mike Turley? Turley is a journalist who begins prying into the personal life of Gordon Cooper, as public interest in the Mercury Seven reaches stratospheric levels.
What else has Jordan Woods-Robinson been in? Woods-Robinson played Eric Raeligh on The Walking Dead, a recurring role throughout seasons five to eight.
Nora Zehetner plays Annie Glenn
Who is Annie Glenn? Annie is John's wife who looks after their children, but struggles with a severe stutter.
What else has Nora Zehetner been in? Zehetner recently bagged roles in Kiefer Sutherland political thriller Designated Survivor and the final season of Marvel's Agents of SHIELD, where she played Viola.
Patrick Fischler plays Bob Gilruth
Who is Bob Gilruth? Gilruth is one of the key figures in the early years of NASA, who directs the Project Mercury programme. He's looking for only the finest recruits as the US races to beat Russia into space.
What else has Patrick Fischler been in? Fischler has recently appeared in Twin Peaks: The Return, surreal fantasy drama Happy! and the Apple TV+ original series Defending Jacob, starring Chris Evans.
Jackson Pace plays Glynn Lunney
Who is Glynn Lunney? Lunney is a young employee of NASA working on Project Mercury, taking orders from Gilruth on the administrative side of the programme.
What else has Jackson Pace been in? Pace found a breakout role in the early seasons of political thriller Homeland as Chris Brody, the son of Damian Lewis' mysterious veteran. He went on to play Gage in The Walking Dead and Luke in Netflix's Grace and Frankie.
The Right Stuff is available to stream on Disney Plus from Friday 9th October. Sign up to Disney+ now for £5.99 per month or £59.99 for a full year. Check out our list of the best movies on Disney Plus and best shows on Disney Plus, or visit our TV Guide to see what's on tonight.
Authors
David Craig is the Senior Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest and greatest scripted drama and comedy across television and streaming. Previously, he worked at Starburst Magazine, presented The Winter King Podcast for ITVX and studied Journalism at the University of Sheffield.
