Clint Eastwood (Colonel Francis 'Frank' D. Corvin), Donald Sutherland (Captain Jerry O'Neill), Tommy Lee Jones (Colonel William 'Hawk' Hawkins), James Garner (Captain / Reverend Tank Sullivan), James Cromwell (Robert 'Bob' Gerson), Marcia Gay Harden (Sara Holland), Barbara Babcock (Barbara Corvin), William Devane (Eugene 'Gene' Davis), Loren Dean (Ethan Glance), Courtney B. Vance (Roger Hines), Rade Serbedzija (General Vostov), Blair Brown (Dr. Anne Caruthers), Chris Wylde (Jason), Anne Stedman (Jasons Freundin), James Macdonald (Capcom), Matt McColm (junger Tank Sullivan), Billie Worley (junger Bob Gerson), John Asher (junger Jerry O'Neill), Eli Craig (junger Hawk Hawkins), Toby Stephens (junger Frank Corvin), Georgia Emelin (Jerry O'Neills Freundin), John Mallory Asher (junger Jerry), John Linton (Astronaut #1), Kate Mcneil (Astronautin #1), Karen M. Waldron (Astronautin #2), Nils Allen Stewart (Tiny), Tim Halligan (Qualls), Jay Leno (er selbst), Steve Monroe (Kellner), Gerald Emerick (T-38 Pilot), Alexander Kuznetsov (Russischer Ingenieur), Michael Louden (junger Pilot #1), Jon Hamm (junger Pilot #2), Erica Grant (Ingenieurin), Chip Chinery (Tom), Don Michaelson (NASA-Arzt), Craig Hosking (Pilot), Renee Olstead (kleines Mädchen)