'Jimmy,' based on the life of the late actor, is scheduled to release in theaters on Nov. 6.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/KJ-Apa-Sirius-XM-2025-Jimmy-Stewart-1955-051526-be4eb94a0dcd4d2ba2d996d8f222a07c.jpg "KJ Apa visits SiriusXM Studios on August 13, 2025 in New York City., Jimmy Stewart circa 1955.")
Credit: Gary Gershoff/Getty; Hulton Archive/Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- KJ Apa opens up about portraying Jimmy Stewart in a biopic in an exclusive interview with PEOPLE
- He admits he initially “wasn’t that familiar” with the Golden Age of Hollywood before signing on to play the late actor
- Jimmy is scheduled to release in theaters on Nov. 6
Before signing on to portray Jimmy Stewart in a biopic, KJ Apa didn't know much about the era that aided in the late actor's star power.
Apa, 28, will play Stewart in Jimmy, which is set to release in theaters later this year. In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, the Riverdale alum says, "I am very honored to play Jimmy Stewart, and to be a part of that Golden Age of Hollywood."
However, Apa admits he initially "wasn't that familiar" with the specific period in entertainment history, when major movie studios dominated and released iconic films such as Gone with the Wind (1939), Citizen Kane (1941), Casablanca (1942), Sunset Boulevard (1950), Singin' in the Rain (1952) and Some Like It Hot (1959), among many others.
"I grew up in New Zealand and wasn't really that into film, other than Jim Carey films," Apa explains with a laugh.
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Credit: Burns & Co. Productions
Stewart, who died of a heart attack in 1997 at age 89, was known for his distinct voice and "everyman" film roles.
He starred in dozens of films throughout his career, and he received numerous prestigious honors, including the American Film Institute (AFI)'s Life Achievement Award, the Kennedy Center Honor and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Stewart is also listed high on the AFI's list of the greatest American male actors.
Jimmy, according to an official synopsis, "focuses on the most transformative season in Jimmy Stewart’s life — from winning the Academy Award for Best Actor in The Philadelphia Story to enlisting and becoming a combat pilot in the U.S. Army Air Corps at the beginning of World War II." It will also follow his involvement in It’s a Wonderful Life.
Alongside Apa, the film stars Kara Killmer, Neal McDonough, Max Casella, Jason Alexander, Christopher McDonald, Sarah Drew, Rob Riggle, Julian Works and Jen Lilley. Stewart's daughter, Kelly Stewart-Harcourt, serves as an executive producer.
Credit: Silver Screen Collection/Hulton Archive/Getty; Phillip Faraone/Getty
Overall, Apa — who lends his voice to the recently-released Audible Original The Summer Oath — tells PEOPLE that portraying Stewart "was a great experience."
"The thing I'm most proud of was getting to learn about who James Stewart was. He had such an incredible story, and I think that everyone will find it inspiring," adds the father of one.
Continues Apa, "You have a man who was a brilliant actor and won an Oscar, and then goes and fights for his country, fighting over 20 combat missions as a pilot in World War II."
Jimmy is scheduled to release in theaters on Nov. 6.
