Four-time Oscar nominee Annette Bening plays Diana Nyad, the long-distance swimmer who sets out to finish an endurance swim from Cuba to Florida 30 years after her failed first attempt. Like Nyad, Bening is a performer with her own history of persistence and power. 

“Annette is amazing,” Chin says. “She was often in the tank for hours at a time because she wanted to swim and wanted it to be authentic. The stunt team was blown away.”

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Bonnie is Diana’s rock, her best friend and coach, who agrees to guide Diana through the swim and cannot be underestimated either. Two-time Oscar winner Jodie Foster plays Bonnie, and her casting was a pleasant surprise for Vasarhelyi and Chin.

“We never imagined we could get Jodie Foster,” Chin says. “This story is very much about friendship, and seeing the two phenomenal actors play off each other was incredible. Jodie is the heart in the film and embodies Bonnie perfectly.”

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John Bartlett is the expert navigator of Diana’s dangerous voyage. He’s played by Rhys Ifans, who burst onto the scene 24 years ago with his scene-stealing role as Hugh Grant’s bizarre roommate in Notting Hill.

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