KJ Apa has received the stamp of approval from the Jimmy Stewart family for his role as the actor and military aviator in the biopic “Jimmy,” set to be released Nov. 6.
Stewart’s daughter, Kelly Stewart-Harcourt, praised Apa’s performance, saying it was “eerie” to see him as the character firsthand while filming Apa’s cameo appearance in the film.
“I was excited, because the problem with having someone play the father…was that you didn’t want to sit there and listen to a Jimmy Stewart impersonation for two hours,” he told Entertainment Weekly. “And my dad has a unique way of speaking. It’s hard not to imitate, but KJ channels him and brings him to life without doing a Jimmy Stewart impersonation. So I don’t see how they could find anyone better.”
“Jimmy” spans from Stewart winning an Academy Award for “The Philadelphia Story” to World War II, where he flew 20 missions over Europe and rose to the rank of colonel. It tells the story of his journey leading up to serving in World War II. Once home, Stewart returned to the screen as George Bailey in “It’s a Wonderful Life.”
“Jimmy Stewart was an American Hero,” Apa previously said in a statement in 2025. “He was one of a certain breed of people who understood the true meaning of sacrifice by fighting for our freedom. He was also among the greatest actors of all time, appearing in more than 80 films and winning an Academy Award for best actor. His story is about strength and purpose, love and honor, fame and war. His story is one that begs us to consider the greater good and be willing to fight for it.”
The film, which also stars Kara Killmer as Lady Julia, is directed by Aaron Burns; Neal McDonough as Stewart’s father Alexander; Max Casella as Frank Capra; Jason Alexander as Louis B. Mayer; Christopher McDonald as Lionel Barrymore; Sarah Drew as Hedda Hopper; Rob Riggle as Colonel Terrill; Julian works as Lieutenant Martinez; and Jen Lilley as Gloria Stewart. Diversity‘s Marc Malkin appears as group leader Glenn Miller.