Apollo 13 director Ron Howard and producer Brian Grazer paid tribute today to Jim Lovell, commander of the ill-fated moon mission on which they based their hit 1995 movie. The astronaut died Thursday at 97.
“Jim Lovell was a true American hero whose courage, intellect and grace under pressure inspired a nation,” Grazer said in a statement. “He was not only a legend in space exploration, but also an incredibly generous, kind and inspiring man. Thank you, Commander Lovell, for showing us the best of what we can be.”
Howard said: “Rest in peace, Commander Lovell. Navy test pilot, Gemini 7, Gemini 12, Apollo 8 and, of course, Apollo 13. Simply knowing Jim has been a tremendous honor. His combination of intellect, courage and commitment to duty made him one of the most remarkable individuals I’ve ever met. His support of our movie-making efforts inspired authenticity and elevated our process in so many ways. Thank you, sir, for your service to our country and to humankind.”
Lovell was 42 when led the moon shot that launched April 11, 1970, but never made its scheduled landing. An oxygen tank explosion two days into the flight took out crucial systems and turned the mission into a rescue operation. NASA scientists made a plan to use the moon’s gravity as a slingshot to send the spacecraft back to Earth, where it splashed down four days later.
Apollo 13 is a gripping tale of what happened up there 45 years ago and how a calm but stressed NASA team brought them home, against the odds. The film was an international smash, making $355.2 million worldwide, split almost evenly between domestic and international. It starred Tom Hanks as Lovell, alongside Kevin Bacon and Bill Paxton as fellow astronauts Jack Swigert and Fred Haise, respectively. Ed Harris and Gary Sinise also starred, along with Kathleen Quinlan as Lovell’s wife Marilyn.
Hanks was hot off back-to-back Best Actor Oscars for Philadelphia and Forrest Gump when he portrayed Lovell. The actor posted a tribute of his own on Instagram today that reads: “There are people who dare, who dream and who lead others to the places we would not go on our own. Jim Lovell, who for a long while had gone farther into space and for longer than any other person of our planet, was that kind of guy. His many voyages around the Earth and on to so-very-close to the moon were not made for riches or celebrity, but because such challenges as those are what fuels the course of being alive — and who better than Jim Lovell to make those voyages. On this night of a full moon, he passes on — to the heavens, to the cosmos, to the stars. God speed you, on this next voyage, Jim Lovell.”
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