When KJ Apa was being considered to star as Jimmy Stewart in the new biopic “Jimmy,” he took another look at “It’s a Wonderful Life.” “I was watching and thinking, how am I going to pull this off?” the actor, who is best known for his starring role as Archie in the CW coming-of-age series “Riverdale,” tells me. I don’t sound anything like him. Like none of it lined up, but by the end of the movie, I was like, ‘I have to do it.’” “Jimmy,” directed by Aaron Burns, chronicles Stewart’s rise in Hollywood and time fighting in WWII.
After winning an Oscar for “The Philadelphia Story” in 1941, he was drafted to serve in the war. Rather than use his celebrity clout to dodge the draft, Stewart enlisted and flew 20 missions over Europe and rose to the rank of colonel. When he returned home from the war, however, Hollywood seemed to have forgotten about him.
Stewart considered moving back home to Indiana, Pennsylvania to work in his father’s general store. But Frank Capra convinced him to star as George Bailey in what is now considered one of the greatest films of all time, the 1946 Christmas classic “It’s a Wonderful Life.” “Frank Capra gave him that script and he was going through a lot of what George Bailey was going through,” said Apa, who will receive a Spotlight Award on Oct. 18 at the Newport Beach Film Festival. He was able to continue in his career.
His daughter Kelly told me when he came back from the war, he said he wasn’t sure if he was a retired actor or a retired pilot. He just didn’t know what he was doing. I think he was lost.” I sat down with Apa before the recent world premiere of “Jimmy” at the Heartland Film Festival in Indianapolis.
We talked about finding Stewart’s voice, being open about his addictions and recovery and speculation that he is the singer Mr. Quick note: I make a brief cameo in the film as bandleader Glenn Miller. Growing up in New Zealand, I didn’t know much about old Hollywood.
I wasn’t familiar with the old Hollywood movie stars. I was meant to shoot a movie called “The Sublime Biopic” about the band Sublime. [Apa was set to star as the band’s late frontman Bradley Nowell]. I was working with a dialect coach, Eliza Simpson, at the time and she’s phenomenal.
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