Apollo 13 Easter Egg - Real Astronaut in Apollo 13

Jim Lovell was asked by Ron Howard to wear the uniform of a US Navy Admiral for his cameo appearance at the end of Apollo 13. Lovell said that he would prefer to play the role in his old Captain's uniform because that was the rank he had held when he retired from the Navy. Hence the "Admiral" listed in the film's credits is only wearing the four bars of a Captain on his shoulder boards.

That is true. And Jim L's wife, Marilyn Lovell, also appears as an extra in the grandstands at the launch.

Fred Haise, the Apollo 13 Lunar Module Pilot, is with Lovell on the recovery ship.

Strictly speaking, this wasn't an easter egg, as the producers made no secret of this, in fact they actually pointed out over and over again. I remember going to the press conference (don't ask me why), and this was one of the first things they pointed out.

Here is some inside info for you. The individual playing the Admeral, is actually the real Captain of the ship this scene was filmed on. The State Rep, the guy in the suit), was actually the old Captain from the USS Iwo Jima when the real Apallo 13 was brought on board. The REAL Chaplain giving the "Prayer of safe return" is not pictured in this scene due to the fact that he was a black man, and in the time that this film is supposed to be in, black men could only hold Perser(baggage boy) or Mess Cook positions. And last, but not least, ALL of those crew men on the flight deck only numbered 75-100 men of the USS New Orleans where the film was actually done and the sister ship of the Iwo Jima, the angel of the camera was moved often to make it seem as if there were more people. I know, I was there.