Heart of Champions: Full list of cast in Michael Mailer's sports drama
Heart of Champions (2021), also known as Pressure Point in Australia and the United Kingdom, is a sports drama directed by Michael Mailer. Vertical Entertainment released the movie on October 29, 2021. It's about an Ivy League rowing team and has a unique mix of motivation and conflict.
The movie highlights the way the players interact with each other, how hard it is for them to work together, and how an unusual coach changes everything.
The movie is about the rowing team at Beeston University, who have been losing a lot to their rivals at Harvard. Members of the team get more and more angry as they blame each other for their repeated losses.
Tensions rise, and Alex, the team's captain, and his crew bring in Jack Murphy. Jack is a tough Vietnam veteran and coach who doesn't mess around, trying to turn things around. If Murphy's out-of-the-box strategies end the team's losing streak and bring them back together, that remains the story's focus.
Michael Shannon, Alexander Ludwig, Charles Melton, and David James Elliott are some of the talented actors who play pivotal roles in Heart of Champions. Shannon plays the tough coach, and Ludwig plays the troubled captain.
Heart of Champions (2021): Main list of cast
1) Michael Shannon as Coach Murphy
As Coach Murphy in Heart of Champions, the famous American actor Michael Shannon plays the part. Shannon plays tough coach Jack Murphy in the movie. His character, who served in Vietnam, pushes the Beeston University rowing team to its limits by talking about his time in the military.
He is known for his roles in movies like Revolutionary Road (2008) and Nocturnal Animals (2016). Shannon has also appeared in movies like The Shape of Water (2017) and Knives Out (2019). His performances have earned him two nominations for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
2) Alexander Ludwig as Alex
Alexander Ludwig plays Alex, the captain of the rowing team at Beeston University. As a leader and a student at an Ivy League school, Alex is under a lot of stress. In Heart of Champions, Alex's emotional journey shows how hard it is to be lead and how painful it is to fail, which makes his character central to how the story develops.
Ludwig is known for his role as Cato in The Hunger Games (2012) and Dorn in the 2020 and 2024 Bad Boys films. He brings a mix of vulnerability and determination to the part. He also played the role of Viking Björn Ironside in Vikings (2014–2020) and starred in a supporting role in Lone Survivor (2013).
3) Charles Melton as Chris
Chris, played by Charles Melton, is an important part of the rowing team and brings a bit of vulnerability to the group. His character in Heart of Champions has the same inner conflict and desire for redemption as his teammates.
People know Melton from his time as Reggie Mantle on Riverdale (2017–2023). He gained popularity for his part in The Sun Is Also a Star (2019). He earned a nomination for a Golden Globe Award for his role in the 2023 drama film May December.
4) David James Elliott as Mr. Singleton
Mr. Singleton, played by David James Elliott, is another important person in the rowing team's journey. His performance as Mr. Singleton, Alex's father who berates him for his dismal loss in Heart of Champions adds to Alex's stress and fuels his desire to win.
Elliott is a steady presence in this drama, with a career that spans many genres. Elliott is best known for his 18-year run as Harmon Rabb Jr. on the TV show JAG between 1995 and 2005.
Supporting and additional cast
- Alex MacNicoll as John
- Ash Santos as Nisha
- Lilly Krug as Sara
- Orlando Eric Street as Campus Cop
- Anton Hedayat as Diver
- Jon Lemmon as Jake
- Devin Woodson as Sanchez
- Thomas Kasp as Logan
- Allison Sullivan as Harvard Coxswain / Harvard Rower
- Spencer Squire as Ben
- Andrew Creer as M.J.
- Michael Tacconi as Ted
- David Cade as Lance
- Lance E. Nichols as President Harris
- Vojin Gjaja as U.S. Rowing Official / Rower
- Linda Muri as Regatta Judge
- Wendy Prior Fentress as Regatta Judge
- Karsten Alexander as Rower
- Julio Alvarado as Rower
- Adela Armstrong-Spielberg as Rower
- Madelyn Avjean as Rower
- Lucas Bellows as Rower
- Joshua Bilchik as Rower
- William Brown as Rower
- Armando Chavez as Rower
- Julia Dexter as Rower
- Jonathan Dwyer as Rower
- Alexander Eggers as Rower
- Matthew Ellis as Rower
- Harrison Fisher as Rower
- Richard William Hansen as Rower
- Andrew Hoffman as Rower
- Sarah Ivey as Rower
- Keane Johnson as Rower
- Derek Kauffman as Rower
- Erik Knudsen as Rower
- Benjamin Leu as Rower
- Harrison Luce as Rower
- Simon Luden as Rower
- Corbin Matise as Rower
- Andrew McLaughlin as Rower
- Evan Meisler as Rower
- Austin Meyer as Rower
- Corey Miles as Rower
- Isaac Neaves as Rower
- Charley Nordin as Rower
- Jeremy Onofrei as Rower
- Dominic Pardini as Rower
- Brad Plunkett as Rower
- Dylan Quigley as Rower
- Andrew P. Ratto as Rower
- Peter Rex as Rower
- Liam Rex as Rower
- Ian Richardson as Rower
- Andres Jay Sanchez as Rower
- Gage Smith as Rower
- Nicholas Stitch as Rower
- Andrew Stonnington as Rower
- Rodd Talebi as Rower
- William Tomlinson as Rower
- Phoenix Torres as Rower
- Nicholas Trojan as Rower
- Mitchell Tyson as Rower
- Dashen Wada as Rower
- Liam Whalen as Rower
- Hunter Williams as Rower
- Charles Wu as Rower
- Sam Zuckerman as Rower
- Mary Magee as Race Spectator
- Ashlyn Marler as Race Spectator
- Richard Martin as Race Spectator / Teacher
- Sichin Li McCall as Race Spectator / Teacher
- Patrice McCardle as Race Spectator
Crew details
Director: Michael Mailer
Producers:
- Robert Ogden Barnum
- Frank Buchs
- Daniel Dávila (p.g.a.)
- Michael Shannon
- Byron Wetzel
- Screenwriter: Vojin Gjaja
- Cinematography: Edd Lukas
- Editor: Ankur Agrawal, Keith Brachmann
- Casting By: Dean E. Fronk, Donald Paul Pemrick
Heart of Champions is available to stream on Prime Video.
