The film was the first Hollywood feature to draw its narrative directly from the September 11 attacks of 2001 . Passengers were portrayed in the film mostly by professional but relatively unknown actors . ( Tom Burnett , for instance , is played by Christian Clemenson , who has since appeared on '' Boston Legal '' and '' CSI : Miami '' ) . The roles of one of the flight attendants , the two pilots , and many other airline personnel were filled by actual airline employees . Some participants in the real-life events played themselves , notably FAA operations manager Ben Sliney
September 11 attacks
September 11 attacks
United 93 (film)