Backdraft - actors, characters and roles

All actors and their roles in the film "Backdraft"
Backdraft (1991)
Timing: 2:17 (137 min)
Backdraft - TMDB rating
6.643/10
1359
Backdraft - Kinopoisk rating
7.69/10
28088
Backdraft - IMDB rating
6.7/10
93000

Actors and characters

Photo Kurt Russell #2175Photo Kurt Russell #2176Photo Kurt Russell #2177Photo Kurt Russell #2178

Kurt Russell

Kurt Russell
Character Stephen McCaffrey
Photo William Baldwin #58126Photo William Baldwin #58127Photo William Baldwin #58128

William Baldwin

William Baldwin
Character Brian McCaffrey
Photo Robert De Niro #9588Photo Robert De Niro #9589Photo Robert De Niro #9590Photo Robert De Niro #9591

Robert De Niro

Robert De Niro
Character Donald Rimgale
Photo Donald Sutherland #6096Photo Donald Sutherland #6097Photo Donald Sutherland #6098Photo Donald Sutherland #6099

Donald Sutherland

Donald Sutherland
Character Ronald Bartel
Photo Jennifer Jason Leigh #50450Photo Jennifer Jason Leigh #50451Photo Jennifer Jason Leigh #50452Photo Jennifer Jason Leigh #50453

Jennifer Jason Leigh

Jennifer Jason Leigh
Character Jennifer Vaitkus
Photo Scott Glenn #43340Photo Scott Glenn #43341Photo Scott Glenn #43342Photo Scott Glenn #43343

Scott Glenn

Scott Glenn
Character John 'Axe' Adcox
Photo Rebecca De Mornay #78050Photo Rebecca De Mornay #78051Photo Rebecca De Mornay #78052

Rebecca De Mornay

Rebecca De Mornay
Character Helen McCaffrey
Photo Jason Gedrick #58124

Jason Gedrick

Jason Gedrick
Character Tim Kirzminski
Photo J.T. Walsh #45082Photo J.T. Walsh #45083

J.T. Walsh

J.T. Walsh
Character Alderman Marty Swayzak
Anthony Mockus Sr.
Character Chief John Fitzgerald
Cedric Young
Character Grindle
Photo Juan Ramírez #43648
Juan Ramírez
Character Ray Santos
Kevin Casey
Character Nightingale
Photo Jack McGee #45085

Jack McGee

Jack McGee
Character Schmidt
Mark Wheeler
Character Pengelly
Richard Lexsee
Character Washington
Beep Iams
Character Sean McCaffrey
Ryan Goldstein
Character Brian, Age 7
John Duda
Character Stephen - Age 12
Photo Robert Swan #79293

Robert Swan

Robert Swan
Character Willy - Bartender
Photo Clint Howard #8019Photo Clint Howard #8020Photo Clint Howard #8021Photo Clint Howard #8022

Clint Howard

Clint Howard
Character Ricco, Pathologist
Photo Ron West #79294

Ron West

Ron West
Character Alan Seagrave
Photo Kevin Crowley #76060

Kevin Crowley

Kevin Crowley
Character Candidate
Photo Carlos Sanz #79295Photo Carlos Sanz #79296

Carlos Sanz

Carlos Sanz
Character Candidate
Photo Jane Jenkins #8080

Jane Jenkins

Jane Jenkins
Character Woman Psychiatrist
Photo David Crosby #79297

David Crosby

David Crosby
Character '70s Hippie
Photo W. Earl Brown #41506Photo W. Earl Brown #41507

W. Earl Brown

W. Earl Brown
Character Paramedic
Photo James Ritz #8037
James Ritz
Character Mannequin Fire Reporter
Photo Irma P. Hall #76578

Irma P. Hall

Irma P. Hall
Character Nurse
Photo Nydia Rodriguez Terracina #18449
Nydia Rodriguez Terracina
Character Nurse
Dennis Liddiard
Character Party Brawler
David Luckenbach
Character Security Officer
Gregory Lundsgaard
Character High-Rise Fireman
Photo Dan Tullis Jr. #329005

Dan Tullis Jr.

Dan Tullis Jr.
Character Engine 17 Firefighter
Peter C. Hobert
Character Probie

What's left behind the scenes

  • Kurt Russell, Kevin Casey, Scott Glenn, and William Baldwin performed many of the stunts themselves within the scope of their roles, which impressed stunt coordinator Walter Scott so much that their names were listed among the stunt performers in the credits.
  • Many Chicago firefighters played minor roles in the film. Numerous firefighters from the Chicago suburbs were involved in the funeral procession.
  • Screenwriter Gregory Widen worked as a firefighter for three years. The script was based on the story of his friend, also a firefighter, who died in the line of duty, caught in the backdraft.
  • To ensure greater authenticity during filming, the film's cinematographer Mikael Salomon wore a fire-resistant suit and filmed with a handheld camera directly in the flames.
  • William Baldwin and Kurt Russell underwent a so-called “young firefighter course” and even lived in a Chicago fire station for a month.
  • During the filming of one scene, Scott Glenn was actually engulfed in flames. He was wearing a fire-resistant suit, and a special protective gel was applied to some parts of his body. As soon as the scene was finished, the flames were immediately extinguished with water and chemicals.
  • Over 5,000 firefighters volunteered to participate in the scene where firefighters march down Michigan Avenue. Firefighters from the suburbs also wanted to participate, but they had different uniforms and were therefore refused. More than 200 firefighters from the suburbs still came to the filming.
  • The film was shot several years before it became possible to create realistic flames using computer animation. At one point, the assistant director, Aldrich La'Auli Porter, rushed into the burning room in search of an actor he believed was lost in the fire. Acting by touch due to the thick smoke, he found no one there, because Kurt Russell, it turned out, had already escaped the burning room through a back exit.
  • A device (cinematographers called it the “Peple-O-Matic”) was created for the film, which operated on the principle of a vacuum cleaner, but in reverse – it cut pieces of cardboard, ignited them, and blew them into the air.
  • Allen Hall was responsible for the special effects in the film. Three months before the start of filming, he equipped a special laboratory for himself, where he worked with explosive substances and various types of flammable materials, studying fire and combustion processes in general.
  • Director Ron Howard donated a portion of the film's proceeds to the local fire department.
  • A significant portion of the sets were burned before filming even began, and then placed inside the building.
  • The filmmakers repaired and restored six pieces of firefighting equipment and, upon completion of filming, donated five of them to the Chicago Fire Department. The sixth was a fire truck that did not survive the shooting.
  • Over 200 children auditioned for the role of the child saved and carried out of the fire by Kurt Russell's character.
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