KJ Apa is taking on one of Hollywood's most beloved icons. The Riverdale star plays Jimmy Stewart in Jimmy, a new biopic that had its world premiere at the Heartland Film Festival in Indianapolis on October 8 and opens in theaters nationwide on November 6.
The film covers a fascinating and underexplored chapter: the period after Stewart won his Oscar for The Philadelphia Story and then enlisted as a combat pilot in World War II, putting a soaring career on hold to serve. It's the kind of old-Hollywood story that plays directly to Apa's earnest, all-American screen presence — and to audiences hungry for the golden-age sincerity Stewart embodied.
Apa is out promoting the film this week, stopping by NBC's Today on October 21 alongside co-star Max Casella to talk about the role. As Memorable TV notes, Apa has faced some pointed online commentary about his Stewart impression, which gives the press tour some texture — playing an icon invites comparison, and Stewart's drawling everyman cadence is one of the most imitated voices in film history.
Whether Jimmy lands as awards bait or a heartfelt crowd-pleaser, the bet is clear: in an era of franchise fatigue, there's still an audience for the story of a movie star who walked away from fame to fly bombers over Europe — and for a young actor brave enough to step into his shoes. Jimmy opens November 6.
Stewart's own story remains one of Hollywood's most admirable: the Princeton graduate who became the embodying everyman of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and It's a Wonderful Life, then flew 20 combat missions over Europe. For Apa, best known as Archie Andrews, Jimmy is a bid for a different kind of career — and a reminder that sincerity still sells tickets.
Photo: John Bauld from Toronto, Canada (CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons)