Martin Sheen (Captain Benjamin L. Willard), Marlon Brando (Colonel Walter E. Kurtz), Robert Duvall (Lieutenant Colonel Bill Killgore), Frederic Forrest (Jay 'Chef' Hicks), Sam Bottoms (Soldat Lance B. Johnson), Laurence Fishburne (Tyrone 'Clean' Miller), Albert Hall (Chief Phillips), Harrison Ford (Colonel Lucas), Dennis Hopper (Journalist), Aurore Clément (Roxanne Sarrault), Christian Marquand (Hubert de Marais), Colleen Camp (Playmate Miss May), G. D. Spradlin (Lieutenant General R. Corman), R. Lee Ermey (Eagle-Thrust-Seven-Hubschrauberpilot), Scott Glenn (Colby), Damien Leake (MG-Schütze), David Olivier (Christian de Marais), Franck Villard (Gaston de Marais), Gian-Carlo Coppola (Gilles de Marais), Michel Pitton (Philippe de Marais), Roman Coppola (Francis de Marais), Yvon LeSeaux (Sergeant Le Fevre), Cynthia Wood (Playmate des Jahres), Linda Carpenter (Playmate), Bo Byers (MP-Sergeant #1), Larry Carney (MP-Sergeant #2), James Keane (Kilgores Schütze), Glenn Walken (Lieutenant Carlsen), Don Gordon Bell (Soldat), Father Elias (Katholischer Priester), Herb Rice (Roach), Robert Julian (Tutor), Chrystel Le Pelletier (Claudine), Bill Graham (Agent), Dick White (Helikopterpilot), Kerry Rossall (Mike aus San Diego), Ron McQueen (Verletzter Soldat), Daniel Kiewit (Major aus New Jersey), Jerry Ross (Johnny aus Malibu / Mike aus San Diego), Jerry Ziesmer (Jerry, Zivilist)