Ed White — First Man Character Profile

About Ed White

A fellow astronaut and test pilot who befriends Neil. He is selected for the Apollo 1 mission but is killed in a cabin fire during a January 1967 launch rehearsal test.

Character Facts

Played by

Jason Clarke

Appears in

First Man (2018)

Role

Supporting

Relationships (4)

• Ed White — Social Friend — Neil Armstrong (Ryan Gosling)

  Camaraderie built during shared training and relocation.

• Ed White — Professional Teammate — Gus Grissom (Shea Whigham)

  Paired together for the inaugural Apollo 1 crew.

• Ed White — Power Director — Deke Slayton (Kyle Chandler)

  Oversees astronaut selections and mission directives.

• Ed White — Alliance Teammate — Buzz Aldrin (Corey Stoll)

  Both operate within the Apollo program and astronaut training pipeline.

Explore the full interactive character relationship map of First Man

More characters from First Man

• Neil Armstrong (Ryan Gosling)
• Janet Shearon (Claire Foy)
• Deke Slayton (Kyle Chandler)
• Gus Grissom (Shea Whigham)
• Buzz Aldrin (Corey Stoll)
• Michael Collins (Lukas Haas)
• Robert R. Gilruth (Ciarán Hinds)
• Elliot See (Patrick Fugit)
• Marilyn See (Kris Rey)
• Joseph A. Walker (Brian d'Arcy James)
• Pete Conrad (Ethan Embry)
• Christopher C. Kraft Jr. (J.D. Evermore)