J. Edgar
Aging J. Edgar Hoover recounts his rise from a determined young agent to the powerful architect of the FBI, as he battles radicals, protects his legacy, and manipulates those around him to maintain control of the bureau he created.
“The most powerful man in the world.”
Synopsis
J. Edgar Hoover was the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the United States for nearly 50 years. During his tenure, he became a widely recognized and influential figure in law enforcement, earning both admiration and criticism. However, he concealed personal secrets that, if revealed, could have damaged his public image, jeopardized his career, and significantly impacted his life.
Credits
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How many hands made this film
The scale of the collaboration
A crew of 390+ credited
Why a floor?
This is a minimum, not a total. We only count the credits we’ve captured so far, and coverage is uneven — a blockbuster might show a few hundred names while another of the same size shows a couple dozen. The real crews all ran into the thousands. The number here only grows as full credits are enriched — so we frame it as a floor, never a headcount.
Craft leads on file
Edited by Joel CoxShot by Tom SternScored by Clint EastwoodDesigned by James J MurakamiSound by Bub AsmanCostumes by Deborah Hopper
Box Office
2011 · Box office
⚖️ Fell short of break-even — grossed 2.4× its budget
Why 2.5×?
Cinemas keep roughly half of every ticket sold, and a wide release’s marketing often costs about as much again as the film — so a movie needs to gross around 2.5× its production budget just to break even theatrically. It’s a rule of thumb, not the studio’s ledger (home video and streaming come later).
Worldwide gross
$84.6M
US & Canada: $37.3M — 44% of worldwide · International: $47.3M (56%)
Opening weekend: $99K — 0% of its US run. It had legs — it kept earning long after opening weekend.
Opening week (7-day): $99K — 0% of its US & Canada run.
Peak 7 theaters
Full synopsis
Also known as
- (English)J. Edgar
- (Bulgarian)Джей Едгар
Release dates around the world3 countries · showhide
- United StatesNov 3, 2011
- CanadaNov 11, 2011
- United Arab EmiratesDec 8, 2011
Companies
Community tags
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Cast & Crew
390 unique people credited
Top billed cast
Leonardo Dicaprio
as J. Edgar Hoover
Armie Hammer
as Clyde Tolson
Naomi Watts
as Helen Gandy
Josh Hamilton
as Robert Irwin
Geoff Pierson
as Mitchell Palmer
Cheryl Lawson
as Palmer's Wife
Kaitlyn Dever
as Palmer's Daughter
Brady Matthews
as Inspector
Gunner Wright
as Dwight Eisenhower
David A Cooper
as Franklin Roosevelt
Ed Westwick
as Agent Smith
Kelly Lester
as Head Secretary
Supporting cast
187Jack Donner
as Edgar's Father
Judi Dench
as Annie Hoover
Dylan Burns
as Hoover as a Child
Jordan Bridges
as Labor Dept. Lawyer
Jack Axelrod
as Caminetti
Jessica Hecht
as Emma Goldman
Josh Stamberg
as Agent Stokes
Michael James Faradie
as Bureau Agent (1919)
Christian Clemenson
as Inspector Schell
Billy Smith
as Secret Service Officer
Michael Rady
as Agent Jones
Ken Howard
as Harlan Fiske Stone
Scot Carlisle
as Agent Williams
Geoff Stults
as Raymond Caffrey
Sadie Calvano
as Edgar's Niece
Allen Nabors
as Agent Appel
Ryan Mcpartlin
as Lawrence Richey
William Bebow
as Mr. Walters
Jeffrey Donovan
as Robert Kennedy
Joseph Culliton
as Credit Director
Scott Johnston
as Tailor
Tom Archdeacon
as Gangster
Mike Vaughn
as Balding Agent
Miles Fisher
as Agent Garrison
Stephen F Schmidt
as NJ Officer
Dermot Mulroney
as Colonel Schwarzkopf
Josh Lucas
as Charles Lindbergh
Zach Grenier
as John Condon
Johnny Cicco
as Young Agent
Denis O Hare
as Albert Osborn
Damon Herriman
as Bruno Hauptmann
Kahil Dotay
as Elmer Irey
Lea Coco
as Agent Sisk
Scott C Roe
as Wiretap Agent
Ernest Harden Jr
as Hoover's Driver
Roberta Bassin
as Roosevelt's Secretary
Steve Monroe
as Restaurant Host
Christopher Lee Philips
as William
Sean Murphy
as Truck Driver
Stephen Root
as Arthur Koehler
Gary Werntz
as Attorney General
David Clennon
as Senator Friendly
Michael O Neill
as Senator McKellar
Eric Larkin
as Fred Hunter
Manu Intiraymi
as Alvin Karpis
Eric Frentzel
as William Mahan
Michael Klinger
as Harry Brunette
Evan Charest
as Reporter
Emily Alyn Lind
as Shirley Temple
Kyle Eastwood
as Stork Club Band
Joe Bagg
as Stork Club Band
Kye Palmer
as Stork Club Band
Jason Harnell
as Stork Club Band
Michael Gladis
as Stork Club Owner
Jamie Labarber
as Ginger Rogers
Lea Thompson
as Lela Rogers
Amanda Schull
as Anita Colby
Craig Zucchero
as Man at the Counter
Gregory Hoyt
as Agent One
Jeff Cockey
as Agent Two
Gerald Downey
as FBI Agent
Brennan Coulter
as Newspaper Boy
Jenny Phagan
as Baker's Wife
Tom Christensen
as Theatre Cashier
Chris Caputo
as Bronx Baker
Austin Basis
as Bank Teller
Adam Driver
as Walter Lyle
Shannon Mcclain Robertson
as African American Woman
Justin Alston
as African American Man
Eric Matheny
as Doctor
Aryeh Or
as Agent Owens
Duncan Hood
as Radio Announcer
Aaron Lazar
as Prosecutor Wilentz
Ernest Heinz
as Jury Foreman
Teresa Hegji
as Hauptmann's Wife
Thomas Langston
as Young Boy
Robert Fleet
as Edgar's Mother's Doctor
Joe Keyes
as Edgar's Brother
Christopher Shyer
as Richard Nixon
Maxine Weldon
as Hoover's Maid
Larkin Campbell
as H.R. Haldeman
Mark Thomason
as Nixon Aide
Dave Abrams
as Agent
Phillip Agresta
as Courtroom Reporter
Christine Ames
as Moviegoer, Courtroom Onlooker
Robert Armstrong
as Jeff McCord in G-Men
Holly Atkins
as Racetrack Gambler
James Avise
as Doughboy
James Babbin
as Washington Post Reporter
Fileena Bahris
as Starlet
Derek Baker
as Reporter
Emily Banks
as Radical Citizen
Christopher Basile
as Federal Agent
Dave Bean
as Racetrack Spectator
Brian Bell
as Marine Escort
Brad Bingham
as Doughboy
Karl Bittner
as Photographer
Andrew Blood
as Marine
Ingrid Bloom
as Leah
Ian Bonner
as NJ State Trooper
Nina Boyer
as RFK's Secretary
Robert Carmona Borjas
as Reporter
Chris Chauncey
as 1940's Reporter
Cindera Che
as Moviegoer
Mae Clarke
as Kitty in The Public Enemy
Michael Coady
as FBI Agent
Tristan Coe
as Reporter
Joe Comino
as 1920s Detective
Shaun Daley
as Radical
Nicholas De Graffenreid
as NY Rookie Officer
Justin Douglas
as 1930s Courtroom Onlooker
Mark Falvo
as Reporter
Aaron Farb
as Officer Jones
Jeffrey T Ferguson
as Reporter
Liam Ferguson
as Radio Production Manager
Cathy Fielding
as Widow
Jennipher Foster
as Lucille Ball
Joe Garvey
as Reporter
Belinda Gosbee
as Gangster's Moll
Rey Goyos
as Cue Card Holder
Alexander Hall
as FBI Agent
Jennifer Lana Harper
as Hoover's Secretary
David Henry
as 1930s Detective
David Hill
as Paterson Police Officer
Alistair Hubbell
as Courtroom Onlooker
Lyndon B Johnson
as Self
Gregory Joiner
as Arresting secret service agents
Courtney Jones
as Court Observer
James Judice
as Courthouse Citizen
George Kardulias
as Demonstrator Outside Courthouse at Lindbergh-Hauptmann Trial
Elizabeth Karr
as Secretary
Gayle Kate
as Juror #10
Spencer Kayden
as Film Premiere Attendee
Barbara Keegan
as Bombing witness
Samantha Kelly
as World War I Reporter
John William King
as 1935 Report
Martin Luther King
as Self
Kristoffer Kjornes
as Dirty Radical
Dash Kolos
as Starlet
Mark Laing
as US Senator
Sean R Lake
as Senator
Joshua Lassman
as Beatdown Radical
Tim Lawes
as News Cameraman
Julio Leal
as FBI Agent
Justin Levine
as Racetrack Patron
Jon Liggett
as Bank Teller
Charles Lindbergh Jr
as Self
Brian Linsley
as Bartender
Billy Lozowski
as Courtroom Spectator
Tom Lucein
as Reporter
Pamela Lundquist
as Restaurant Patron
Michael Macoul
as Federal Agent Troy
Jack Mahrt
as State Trooper
Mike Mckee
as Court Room Stenographer
Leslie Mckeller
as Shirley Temple's Mother
David James Mckenzie
as Courtroom Reporter
Gerald Mcraney
as Judge at Hauptmann Trial
Johnny Meyer
as Agent
Keith Middlebrook
as Agent Newhouse
Barrett Mitchell
as Reporter, Cameraman
Mike Monroe
as New Jersey State Trooper
Travis Myers
as 1930's FBI Agent
Pat Nixon
as Self
Richard Nixon
as Self
Jamie Noel
as Racetrack Gambler
Jefferson Nogueira
as 1930s Lindbergh's Trial Onlooker
Erin Pickett
as Lindbergh Juror #5
Scott Pretty
as Agent Downey
Ron Pucillo
as Detective
Kristie Rose
as Immigrant
Devin Rumer
as Federal Agent
Lee Ryder
as Senator
Andrew Schlessinger
as FBI Agent Special Assistant to Hoover
Frank Scozzari
as Courtroom Observer
Matthew Scrima
as Court Reporter
David J Smolar
as Radio Tech in Shed Scene
Sean Spence
as Reporter #1
Robert Stilwell
as 1930s Courtroom Onlooker
Mitch Taebel
as Police Captain
Allison Nichole Torres
as Premiere Goer
Taylor Tunes
as Film Premiere Attendee
Sean Velie
as Federal Agent
Danny Watters
as Rioter
Cameron Webb
as Photographer
Corey Webber
as New Orleans Pedestrian
Bradley Weber
as FBI Agent
Joanna Ziemba
as Pedistrian
Directors
1Writers
1Producers
9Bob Peishel
digital intermediate producer
Brian Grazer
Producer
Clare Mckee
digital cinema producer (uncredited)
Clint Eastwood
Producer
Denise Woodgerd
dailies producer
Erica Huggins
executive producer
Guy Botham
visual effects executive producer: Lola Visual Effects
Robert Lorenz
Producer
Tim Moore
executive producer
Other crew
185Neal Bradshaw
3d scan technician: Gentle Giant Studios
Max Deleo
additional assistant camera
Dodi Lee Rubenstein
additional second assistant director
Alison C Rosa
additional second assistant director: Washington DC
Bren Cook
ager / dyer
Karl J Weschta
armorer (uncredited)
Gennady Loktionov
arranger
Greg Berry
Art Directors
Kristina Maretti
assistant
Beatriz Madrigal
assistant accountant
Landon Trawny
assistant accountant
Krys Karns
assistant accountant (as Krystine Karns)
Parents Guide
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