David Strathairn as Edward R. Murrow

Patricia Clarkson as Shirley Wershba

George Clooney as Fred Friendly

Jeff Daniels as Sig Mickelson

Robert Downey Jr. as Joe Wershba

Frank Langella as William Paley

Ray Wise as Don Hollenbeck

Robert John Burke as Charlie Mack

Reed Diamond as John Aaron

Tate Donovan as Jesse Zousmer

Grant Heslov as Don Hewitt

Tom McCarthy as Palmer Williams

Matt Ross as Eddie Scott

Rose Abdoo as Mili Lerner

Alex Borstein as Natalie

Peter Jacobson as Jimmy

Robert Knepper as Don Surine

Dianne Reeves as Jazz Singer

Peter Martin as Pianist

Christoph Luty as Bassist

Jeff Hamilton as Drummer

Matt Catingub as Saxophonist

Glenn Morshower as Colonel Anderson

Don Creech as Colonel Jenkins

Helen Slayton-Hughes as Mary

Simon Helberg as CBS Page

JD Cullum as Stage Manager

John Kepley as CBS Lawyer #1

David Paul Christian as CBS Lawyer #2

Joyce Lasley as Make-Up Girl

Bill Blair as TV Studio Crewman (uncredited)

Joseph Dowd as Reporter (uncredited)

Bruna Matsin as Sig Mickelson's Wife (uncredited)

Katharine Phillips Moser as Jesse's Wife (uncredited)

Alexana Thomas as Senator's Wife (uncredited)

Dave Thompson as News Photographer (uncredited)

Rochelle Warner as Speech Wife (uncredited)

Roy Cohn as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)

Dwight D. Eisenhower as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)

Robert F. Kennedy as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)

Liberace as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)

Joseph McCarthy as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)

John L. McClellan as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)

Milo Radulovich as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)

Joseph N. Welch as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)