Anthony Sadler Jr. ( born July 13 , 1992 ) is an American television personality . Sadler , along with Alek Skarlatos and Spencer Stone , stopped a gunman on a Paris-bound train travelling from Amsterdam via Brussels in August 2015 , gaining international recognition for their role in the event . Recognized by then-U.S. President Barack Obama and French President François Hollande , Sadler received several awards and decorations for his actions . He , along with his friends , was awarded the Legion of Honour by the French president which is the highest French order for military and civil merits . After the event , Sadler made several television appearances , including a guest appearance on '' The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon '' and honored with the 2016 Spike Guys Choice Award on Spike TV , among other appearances . He , Skarlatos and Stone co-authored a memoir , titled '' The 15:17 to Paris '' , published in August 2016 , which detailed the events leading up to the attack , which occurred a year prior to the release of the book . Clint Eastwood directed a biographical film with the same title based on Sadler , Skarlatos and Stone 's memoir , starring them , along with actresses Jenna Fischer and Judy Greer . The film was released in early 2018 by Warner Bros . Pictures . Sadler graduated from California State University , Sacramento in 2017
stopped a gunman
2015 Thalys train attack
Anthony Sadler