From D-Day to the Battle of the Bulge, Band of Brothers follows Easy Company, an elite branch of Paratroopers, during their journey through WWII's European front. Based on the true exploits chronicled by Stephen E. Ambrose, the series was produced by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks and has been praised for its authentic depiction of war, even using testimonials by real members of Easy Company. Leading the charge is Major Richard Winters, played humbly by Damian Lewis, as the bonds of brotherhood propelled Easy Company through the war.
The 10-part limited series featured and incredibly large ensemble cast that included around 200 speaking roles and over 10,000 extras. Of this large cast, many were unknown actors at the time, but sprinkled throughout were names that would have much larger futures ahead. In leading roles, familiar faces like David Schwimmer (Friends) and Ron Livingston (Office Space) can be seen, but many more young actors were allowed to fill out the extensive cast.
Private Hall — Andrew Scott
Band of Brothers (BoB) came off the coattails of Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan. Ironically enough, Andrew Scott had a background role in the brutally realistic D-Day beach seen, credited only as "Soldier on the Beach." Amidst the carnage, Scott isn't easily spotted, but he would receive a far more impactful role in BoB. Among his many acclaimed roles, such as Fleabag and Sherlock, Scott returned to war films as the jaded Lt. Leslie in Sam Mendes' WW1 tale, 1917.
In BoB, Scott plays Private Hall, a young paratrooper who airdropped alongside Winters on D-Day. Navigating the midnight, the two share quiet talks before regrouping with other scattered paratroopers. Hall later volunteers to follow Winters on a mission to take out nearby German canons and is sharp to follow Winters' orders. Sadly, Hall runs into a claymore mine, becoming Winters' first casualty under his command, introducing the bitter truth that his orders will often result in the death of his comrades.
Sergeant Burton "Pat" Christenson — Michael Fassbender
Michael Fassbender appears all the way from boot camp at Camp Toccoa as Technical Sergeant Burton "Pat" Christenson. He was a machine gunner often seen in foxholes loading his Browning machine gun and has many speaking moments, such as the reoccurring gossip over whether Lt. Spears (Matthew Settle) did kill all those enemy prisoners. In the show's most emotional episode, "Why We Fight," Christenson can be seen behind Winters when Easy Company liberates a concentration camp.
BoB was Fassbender's first most notable role and only third acting credit. Long before his days as Magneto, Steve Jobs, or David in Prometheus, Fassbender fit nicely into the ensemble cast of characters, fleshing out the company of soldiers with a familiar face occasionally seen throughout the series, but most importantly as a Toccoa man, a member of Easy Company since its creation.
William Evans — Simon Pegg
1st Sergeant William Evans (Simon Pegg) is featured in the first episode of the series, "Currahee," which refers to training at Camp Toccoa, where the volunteer soldiers trained as paratroopers. Evans is the assistant to the company's loathed instructor, Captain Herbert Sobel (David Schwimmer). As Easy Company travels by plane towards Normandy, Evans can be seen briefly with a stunned look on his face, speculating that his plane was shot down before he could make the jump on D-Day.
Pegg's first notable role came with the British sitcom Spaced, directed by Edgar Wright and written by Pegg. Pegg's career would continue to climb with his collaborations with Wright, most notably with the zombie comedy Shaun of the Dead and cop comedy Hot Fuzz. Since then, Pegg has had numerous voice-acting roles alongside many franchise appearances, such as Mission: Impossible, Star Trek, and Star Wars.
James W. Miller — James McAvoy
Private James W. Miller (James McAvoy) can be seen joining Easy as a newly arrived trooper in the episode "Replacements." After taking Normandy, US forces headed north to liberate Holland and needed to recoup their losses. Miller was one of these untested rookies who would face many cold shoulders from the proven vets. However, Miller remained a noble soldier, looking only to do right and prove himself as a paratrooper.
McAvoy rifled through British entertainment before reaching a larger audience with Atonement and Wanted. Later he took on a more prominent role as Professor Xavier in the X-Men: First Class, ironically opposite his BoB co-star, Fassbender, as Magneto. McAvoy also played the voice of Morpheus in the audiobook of Neil Gaiman's acclaimed graphic novel, The Sandman, along with a supporting role in the Netflix series.
Myron Ranney — Stephen Graham
Stephen Graham has a brief speaking role as Sergeant Myron Ranney. Ranked as an NCO (Non-Commissioned Officer), Ranney, and several other NCOs unite in protest against Sobel's recent Court Marshall of Winters. Convinced that without Winters, Sobel will surely lead them to death, the NCOs risk possible execution to turn in letters of resignation. While the pall that Sobel put on the company is eventually noticed, Ranney is made an example of and demoted back down to Private.
While Graham's role in BoB was limited, the British actor starred as Tommy in Snatch the year before, opposite Jason Statham, as the two attempt to promote an underground boxing match. Since then, Graham has remained consistent with notable roles in The Irishman, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, and TV spots in Boardwalk Empire, Taboo, and Peaky Blinders. Graham is set to star in the upcoming Matilda remake as Mr. Wormwood.
Private Allington — Dominic Cooper
Dominic Cooper's role as an extra, Private Allington, comes standing in line behind "Wild Bill" Guarnere (Frank John Hughes). The scene in the first episode is set up when Sobel is told to promote Winters but looks to embarrass him by giving him mess hall duty. Sobel orders Winters to make a large meal of Spaghetti, only to barge in and make the whole company run up the mountain, Currahee, with full bellies. As the men continue to bond over their collective contempt of Sobel, the entire company, including Winters and Allington, run up the mountain singing gladly.
Cooper's barely visible role in BoB was his intimidating first time on a major set, but he soon started to make waves in Mama Mia!, its sequel, and The Devil's Double, about a man whose given a choice; become the double for Saddam Hussein's son or face the consequences. Cooper has also stepped into comic book roles as a young Howard Stark in Captain America: The First Avenger and the lead role in Preacher, a supernatural series that completed in 2019 after four seasons.
Lt. Henry Jones — Colin Hanks
Colin Hanks makes a late appearance as Lt. Henry Jones, fresh out of West Point Military Academy and looking to get some action under his belt, however, his enthusiasm was countered by battle-hardened soldiers just looking to get home. With the end of the war in their sights, most men were not eager to run into battle, but Jones can experience his own dash of action in the episode "The Last Patrol."
Son of series producer and famed actor Tom Hanks, Colin followed up his brief appearance on BOB with his leading role of Orange County, starring opposite Jack Black. Ironically, Colin would star opposite Black again in Peter Jackson's King Kong, as the two filmmakers crafting their epic adventure film. Colin is soon to star in Clear Lake as music producer Norman Petty in a biopic about Buddy Holly.
Denver "Bull" Randleman — Michael Cudlitz
Michael Cudlitz was widely unknown before 2001, except for various one-off TV appearances and an antagonistic role in D3: The Mighty Ducks, but would take on one of the leading roles in BoB as Sergeant Denver "Bull" Randleman. Cudlitz even gets a focused episode, "Replacements," which sees the first devastating loss Easy Company suffers during the war. During the chaos and retreating, Randleman is caught behind enemy lines, experiencing an intense night of evading German forces.
Cudlitz's stoic portrayal of Randleman, one of the best soldiers Winters ever had the pleasure of fighting with, set him up for arguably his most iconic role to come. As comic book and zombie fans latched onto The Walking Dead, many speculated who would be cast as Sergeant Abraham Ford. Cudlitz's past made him tailor-made to play the seasoned soldier, and he has since even stepped behind the camera and into the director's chair for multiple episodes of TWD.
George C. Rice — Jimmy Fallon
Entering the Ardennes forest along the border of Belgium, Easy was vastly undersupplied. However, a jeep driver arrived blaring his horn: it was Lt George C. Rice (Jimmy Fallon) with a trunk of supplies. Fallon's character then warns them of the danger ahead, now known as the Battle of the Bulge, while setting up one of the series' best lines. Fallon states that the enemy will soon have them surrounded, with Winters replying, "We're paratroopers, Lieutenant, we're supposed to be surrounded."
Fallon is most recognizable from his talk show, The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, and numerous game shows like That's My Jam, a karaoke-inspired game show, and Password, where celebrity guests help contestants guess words with single-word clues. While Fallon got his start cracking up in SNL skits, his role as a TV personality indeed suits him.
Private Janovec — Tom Hardy
In a military one-two punch, Tom Hardy had a limited role in BoB and Black Hawk Down in 2001. Private Janovec (Hardy) joins Easy Company after their most intense action has passed. As US troops began entering Germany and securing towns, Janovec gets intimate with a local girl before witnessing the atrocities at the Jewish labor camps. However, despite the warfare relaxing, the young Janovec would still face loss during the war.
Hardy had an accomplished career since BoB, quickly playing the villain Shinzon in Star Trek: Nemesis, but his career would truly kick off with appearances in Christopher Nolan's hugely popular Inception and Bane in The Dark Knight Rises. Hardy's blockbuster leading roles would continue to pile up, such as his grisly role in Mad Max: Fury Road and Eddie Brock/Venom in Venom and its sequel; both franchises have follow-up films in development.