The 2001 war drama miniseries Band of Brothers is still largely regarded as one of the best miniseries of all time, as well as one of the greatest depictions of war and its consequences in media. Based on the eponymous 1992 non-fiction book by Stephen E. Ambrose and created by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, the series showcased a hefty ensemble cast, composed of mostly up-and-coming talents, some of whom have since become household names.
The core cast made up Easy Company — a unit in the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division of the United States Army — notable for their bravery, camaraderie, and pivotal role in some of the Second World War’s most influential battles. However, the cast of Band of Brothers was so massive that now-incredibly-famous faces like Jimmy Fallon, Tom Hardy, Michael Fassbender, Simon Pegg, Andrew Scott, James McAvoy, Dominic Cooper, and Stephen Graham would occasionally show up in recurring and minor roles.
Damian Lewis
Damian Lewis played Major Richard Winters, a role that launched his career in the United States, after establishing himself on his home turf of England. He went on to build a solid career, primarily in TV, becoming recognizable to the public for his roles in Homeland, for which he won an Emmy and a Golden Globe, and in Billions. He was also married to Peaky Blinders actress Helen McCrory, from 2007 until 2021, when she passed away from cancer.
Ron Livingston
Band of Brothers also put Ron Livingston on the map for playing Captain Lewis Nixon. The Cedar Rapids native mostly works in comedy now, namely by leading the 2017 dramedy series Loudermilk. His turn in Boardwalk Empire earned him a SAG nomination, while his role in The Conjuring got him nominated for a Fright Meter Award for Best Supporting Actor. He also played Barry Allen’s dad Henry in 2023’s The Flash.
David Schwimmer
David Schwimmer was already a popular actor all over the country for playing Ross Geller in one of the biggest shows of all time – Friends. He played Captain Herbert Sobel in Band of Brothers and continues to act, direct, and produce. 2019’s The Laundromat, 2016’s The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story, and all his outings as Melman from the Madagascar franchise are arguably his most high-profile roles since.
Kirk Acevedo
Kirk Acevedo is a true mainstay of primetime television. By the time he made Band of Brothers, he had already acted in Oz, where he continued until 2003. He made appearances in virtually every major procedural and action drama on TV, including multiple Law & Order spin-offs, CSI, The Mentalist, and 24. His biggest projects after the HBO show, however, were the cult favorite Fringe, where he played Charlie Francis, and DCTV’s Arrow as Ricardo Diaz/The Dragon.
Michael Cudlitz
Most audiences will probably be quicker to recognize Michael Cudlitz from his role in the massively popular zombie show The Walking Dead — where he played Sgt. Abraham Ford — than from his performance as Bull in Band of Brothers. Still, there’s no denying the HBO show kickstarted his would-be prolific career, which includes major roles in shows like Southland, The Kids Are Alright, and Superman & Lois. He’s also a recurring voice actor in the Call of Duty video games.
Donnie Wahlberg
Donnie Wahlberg played Second Lieutenant Carwood Lipton in Band of Brothers, but his most stable job has been the CBS police procedural drama Blue Bloods – where he’s been playing Detective Danny Reagan for a whopping 13 years. He has also played another famous detective on multiple occasions: Saw‘s Detective Eric Matthews in the second, third, and fourth films in the series. Wahlberg is also 1/5 of New Kids on the Block and has reunited with the famous ’90s boyband often over recent years.
Neal McDonough
Neal McDonough is one of those actors that everyone has seen in at least one show or movie, given how wide-reaching his filmography is. In the years after starring in Band of Brothers as First Lieutenant Buck, the Massachusetts native also had major roles in Boomtown, Desperate Housewives, Suits, and in the Arrowverse as Damien Darhk, among many others. He was also one of the Howling Commandos in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Richard Speight Jr.
Richard Speight, who played Skip in Band of Brothers will be especially familiar to fans of the sci-fi phenom from The CW – Supernatural. The actor played trickster Archangel Gabriel on the show and even went on to direct 11 episodes of it.
Dexter Fletcher
Dexter Fletcher might have flown under the radar as Staff Sergeant John Martin in Band of Brothers, but the actor-director has become one of the most prominent figures to come out of the show’s cast. He’s not most commonly found behind the camera, with filmmaking credits including 2019’s Rocketman, 2023’s Ghosted, and part of 2018’s Bohemian Rhapsody.
Colin Hanks
Band of Brothers‘ First Lieutenant Henry S. Jones is actually played by show creator Tom Hanks’ eldest son. He’s a Golden Globel and Emmy nominated actor thanks to his performance in the 2014 series Fargo, but you might have also seen him on The Offer, Impeachment: American Crime Story, and in the new Jumanji films.
Band of Brothers is available to stream on Netflix.
Published: Sep 19, 2023 04:46 pm