Wait. Which one? Usually, when people start digging into the cast of The One That Got Away film, they’re looking for one of two very different projects. You’ve either got the gritty 1957 British classic about a Nazi escape artist, or the 1996 made-for-TV movie based on a real-life SAS mission gone wrong.
Context matters.
If you’re a fan of old-school cinema, you’re looking for Hardy Krüger. If you’re a military history nerd obsessed with the Bravo Two Zero mission, you’re looking for Paul McGann. Both films are actually pretty good, but they serve totally different vibes. Let's get into who actually appeared in these movies and why the casting choices defined their respective legacies.
The 1957 Classic: Hardy Krüger’s Breakthrough
Roy Ward Baker directed the 1957 version. It’s a fascinating piece of post-war cinema because it focuses on Franz von Werra. He was the only German prisoner of war held in Britain to actually escape and make it back to Germany.
Casting a German actor to play a German lead in a British film just twelve years after the war ended? Huge risk.
Hardy Krüger got the part. He was perfect. Honestly, his performance is the only reason this movie is still discussed in film schools. He brought this weird, arrogant charm to the role of von Werra. Before this, Krüger wasn't a household name outside of Germany, but this film launched his international career. He eventually ended up in big-budget stuff like A Bridge Too Far.
The supporting players in '57 were the "who's who" of British character actors. You had Michael Goodliffe as the RAF interrogator. He played it cool, clinical, and very British. Then there’s Terence Alexander and Jack Gwillim. These guys were staples of mid-century UK cinema. They basically played the "stiff upper lip" authority figures that von Werra spent the whole movie outsmarting.
That 1996 SAS Drama: Paul McGann and the Gulf War
Now, let’s flip the script to the 1996 version. This one is a television film produced by London Weekend Television. It’s based on the book by Chris Ryan.
If that name sounds familiar, it should. Ryan was the only member of the eight-man SAS patrol, callsign Bravo Two Zero, to escape capture during the 1991 Gulf War. He trekked nearly 200 miles to the Syrian border.
Paul McGann played Chris Ryan.
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Most people know McGann as the Eighth Doctor from Doctor Who or from the cult classic Withnail and I. Seeing him in desert cammies, covered in grime and looking genuinely exhausted, was a pivot. He had to carry the back half of the film almost entirely solo. There’s very little dialogue once the patrol splits up. It’s just McGann, the desert, and a lot of suffering.
The rest of the cast of The One That Got Away film (1996) had to represent the other members of the patrol.
- Robert Cass played Vince Phillips.
- Yannick Bisson was Robert Consiglio.
- Isaac Hayes even made an appearance as a US Sergeant.
This film is often compared to the 1999 movie Bravo Two Zero, which starred Sean Bean. Fans usually argue about which one is better. While Bean is great, the 1996 cast feels a bit more "down to earth." They look like exhausted soldiers, not action heroes.
Why the 1957 Cast Was Controversial
You have to remember the era.
- The Blitz was still a fresh memory for the London audiences watching this. Casting Krüger—who actually served in the German military during WWII (though in the infantry, not the Luftwaffe)—was a massive gamble.
The producers didn't want a villain. They wanted a "lovable rogue" type.
Hardy Krüger had this incredible physicality. He did many of his own stunts, including jumping off moving trains and trekking through the snow. This realism made the audience root for a Nazi pilot, which is a wild psychological trick when you think about it. The film doesn't glorify the ideology; it glorifies the human will to be free. Krüger’s face, often shown in tight close-ups, sold that desperation.
The Physical Toll on the 1996 Actors
Filming the 1996 version wasn't exactly a vacation. They filmed in South Africa to mimic the Iraqi desert.
Paul McGann has spoken in interviews about how grueling the shoot was. The actors were carrying actual weighted packs. They were dealing with heat exhaustion. When you look at the cast of The One That Got Away film from 1996, you see a lot of genuine misery.
It wasn't just about acting; it was about endurance.
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The film relies heavily on the physical transformation of the cast. At the start, they look like elite special forces—composed and lethal. By the end, the actors are gaunt and vibrating with nerves. This wasn't Hollywood gloss. It was 90s British TV grit.
Comparing the Two Franz von Werras and Chris Ryans
It’s weird how both movies revolve around a single man outrunning an entire army.
In the '57 version, the tension is psychological. The cast is playing a game of chess. Can the British interrogators break him? Can von Werra bluff his way onto an aircraft?
In the '96 version, the tension is visceral. It’s about blisters, dehydration, and the sound of a vehicle in the distance.
The supporting casts reflect this. The 1957 cast is full of officers in polished uniforms and polite society. The 1996 cast is full of men in dirt-streaked gear screaming at each other under fire.
Beyond the Leads: The Character Actors
Let's look at some of the "hey, I know that guy" faces in these films.
In the 1957 movie, look out for Colin Gordon. He played the Northbury Camp Commandant. Gordon was one of those actors who was in everything from The Prisoner to Doctor in the House. He brought a specific type of flustered British authority that worked perfectly against Krüger’s calm demeanor.
In the 1996 film, you’ve got Yannick Bisson. Long before he was the lead in Murdoch Mysteries, he was playing a tactical soldier in this production. It’s a trip to see him in such a different, violent context.
Where Are They Now?
Hardy Krüger lived a long, fascinating life after The One That Got Away. He became a passionate anti-Nazi activist, using his fame to speak out against the far-right. He passed away in 2022 at the age of 93. He’s remembered as one of the few German actors who truly conquered the international stage after the war.
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Paul McGann is still a fixture of British TV and theater. He regularly returns to the world of Doctor Who for audio dramas and the occasional TV cameo. While The One That Got Away isn't his most famous work, it’s often cited by military buffs as one of the more accurate portrayals of the Bravo Two Zero events.
Why These Casts Still Matter
We live in a world of CGI and hyper-edited action.
Watching these films today, you realize how much weight the actors had to carry. In 1957, there were no digital crowds. If you see von Werra jumping off a train, an actor or a stuntman is actually doing it. In 1996, if the cast looks like they are freezing in the desert night, they probably were.
The cast of The One That Got Away film—regardless of which version you mean—had to sell the isolation of being one man against a country.
How to Watch Them Today
If you want to see Hardy Krüger at his peak, the 1957 film is widely available on DVD and occasionally pops up on streaming services specializing in classic cinema like Criterion or BFI Player. It’s a must-watch for anyone interested in how the film industry began to humanize former enemies in the 50s.
The 1996 Paul McGann version is a bit harder to track down. Because it was a TV movie, it doesn't always get the "remastered" treatment. You can often find it on YouTube or on bargain-bin DVD collections of war movies. It’s worth the hunt if you want a stripped-back, non-Hollywood take on the Gulf War.
Key Takeaways for Movie Buffs
- Check the Year: Always verify if you’re looking for the Hardy Krüger (1957) or Paul McGann (1996) version.
- Look for Realism: Both films are praised for their lack of "action movie" tropes. They focus on the exhaustion of escape.
- Hardy Krüger is the MVP: His performance in the '57 version is a masterclass in screen presence.
- Historical Context: Read up on Franz von Werra and Chris Ryan before watching. The real-life stories are just as insane as the movies.
If you’re planning a movie night, honestly, watch them back-to-back. It’s a wild study in how the concept of the "escape movie" evolved over forty years. You go from the polite, high-stakes bluffing of the 1950s to the raw, survivalist desperation of the 1990s.
To dig deeper into the history behind these films, look for the original books. The One That Got Away by Kendal Burt and James Leasor (for the 1957 film) and The One That Got Away by Chris Ryan (for the 1996 film) offer way more detail than the scripts ever could. You'll find that the real-life cast of The One That Got Away film—the actual people who lived it—were even more complex than the actors portrayed them to be.