In September 2001, Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg introduced HBO subscribers to the landmark television event that was Band of Brothers. Over the course of 10 episodes, the limited series told the story of Easy Company from its days in basic training all the way through the end of World War II in August 1945. Much more than a dramatization of the biggest moments in the European Theater of the Second World War, the highly-emotional and character-driven story of boys becoming men and men becoming brothers introduced the world to dozens of memorable characters. And in honor of the show’s 20th anniversary, we’ve gone through the Band of Brothers cast and checked up on what they’ve been up to all these years later. From leading actors like Damian Lewis and Donnie Wahlberg to then-up-and-comers like Tom Hardy and Michael Fassbender, there’s a lot to unpack here…
Damian Lewis (Richard D. Winters)
Damian Lewis already had a respectable career by the time he signed on as one of the main characters on Band of Brothers in 2001, but his performance as Richard D. Winters, the leader of Easy Company quickly made him one of the most promising stars in film and television. At the start of the next decade, Lewis took on perhaps his most notable role with his portrayal of Nicholas Brody on the Showtime series Homeland, which earned the actor a Golden Globe and a Primetime Emmy Award. Lewis currently portrays the ambitious and cutthroat billionaire Bobby Axelrod on the Showtime series Billions.
Ron Livingston (Lewis Nixon)
Ron Livingston, who was hot off the 1999 release of Office Space, played Lewis Nixon, Major Winters’ best friend and closest confidant on Band of Brothers. Since the release of the groundbreaking HBO limited series, Livingston has found work in both film and television, including prominent roles in everything from The Conjuring to Sex and the City (along with so many other actors). Livingston currently leads the Amazon comedy series Loudermilk and has a recurring role on the ABC drama series A Million Little Things. He will take on the role of Henry Allen, the father of the titular hero in 2022’s The Flash.
Donnie Wahlberg (Carwood Lipton)
New Kid on the Block Donnie Wahlberg takes on the role of Carwood Lipton, one of the high ranking members of Easy Company on Band of Brothers. One of the most prolific singers-turned-actors in the television world, Wahlberg has leading roles on everything from crime dramas like Blue Bloods to reality shows such as Wahlburgers and Rock This Boat: New Kids on the Block. In 2021 he also appeared on the hit Fox competition series The Masked Singer.
Neal McDonough (Lynn "Buck" Compton)
Neal McDonough played Lynn “Buck” Compton on Band of Brothers. In 20 years since portraying one of Easy Company’s most memorable figures, McDonough has shown up in everything from Captain America: The First Avenger to Sonic the Hedgehog and Walking Tall to Legends of Tomorrow and so much in between. McDonough is set to appear in Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City and American Horror Story: Double Feature. He also reprised his Captain America character Timothy “Dum Dum” Dugan on the Disney+ series What If…? in 2021.
Matthew Settle (Ronald Speirs)
Matthew Settle played the controversial Ronald Speirs, the Army officer who allegedly gunned down six German prisoners of war, on Band of Brothers. Following his turn on the HBO WWII limited series, Settle appeared in several of the most talked about shows of the early 2000s including The Practice, Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, and the original Gossip Girl, in which he played Rufus Humphrey. Settle has not made any movie or TV appearances since an episode of Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders in 2016.
Scott Grimes (Donald Malarkey)
Scott Grimes portrayed technical sergeant Donald Malarkey, whose accounts of the war helped add historical context to Band of the Brothers and the book on which it was based. An already established television star (Party of Five, The Twilight Zone) by the time he joined the cast of the HBO limited series, Grimes has since gone on to have major roles on ER, American Dad (voice of Steve Smith), and The Orville.
Shane Taylor (Eugene "Doc" Roe)
Shane Taylor took on the role of Eugene “Doc” Roe, the Easy Company medic, on Band of Brothers. Following his turn on the hit series, Taylor made appearances in movies like the 2006 drama Bomber and the 2018 Gerard Butler and Gary Oldman military action thriller Hunter Killer. He also was on the History Channel limited series Sons of Liberty in 2016.
Michael Cudlitz (Denver "Bull" Randleman)
Michael Cudlitz shows up in Band of Brothers as Denver “Bull” Randleman, the superior officer of “The Replacements.” Following the successful series, Cudlitz appeared on hit shows like 24, Prison Break, and Lost throughout the early 2000s and eventually landed a major role on The Walking Dead as Abraham Ford for a number of years. He currently plays Paul Krendler on CBS’ Clarice.
Dexter Fletcher (John W. Martin)
Actor/director Dexter Fletcher portrayed John W. Martin on Band of Brothers. Over the years, Fletcher has appeared in movies like Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, The Patriot, and Muppets Most Wanted. In recent years, Fletcher has turned to directing feature-length films including Eddie the Eagle, Bohemian Rhapsody (he replaced Bryan Singer near the end of production), and Rocketman.
Frank John Hughes (William "Wild Bill" Guarnere)
William “Wild Bill” Guarnere, the loud yet loyal staff sergeant on Band of Brothers, was portrayed by Frank John Hughes. In the years following the release of the HBO limited series, Hughes appeared in movies like Catch Me If You Can but mostly stuck to television, including roles on 24, NCIS, The Sopranos, and LAX. Hughes is set to portray Frank Sinatra in the upcoming Paramount+ series The Offer about the production of The Godfather.
Kirk Acevedo (Joe Toye)
Kirk Acevedo was already one of the best HBO actors (Miguel Alvarez on Oz) by the time he joined the Band of Brothers cast as Joe Toye in 2001. Since then, Acevedo has continued to show up in one television show after another including Fringe, Blue Bloods, and most recently Arrow where he played Ricardo Diaz, aka The Dragon. Acevedo will next appear on the Paramount+ streaming series The Offer.
Colin Hanks (Henry Jones)
Colin Hanks shows up on Band of Brothers as Henry Jones, who goes straight from West Point to the European Theater of the war. Since then, the son of Tom Hanks has had memorable roles in movies like Orange County, W., Elvis and Nixon, and the two most recent Jumanji movies. Hanks’ television work includes Fargo, Drunk History, and most recently Impeachment: American Crime Story.
Michael Fassbender (Burton Christenson)
Years before he became a star with movies like Hunger, Inglourious Basterds, and the X-Men franchise, Michael Fassbender got his start with a minor role on Band of Brothers as Burton Christenson. Since then, Fassbender has become one of the most recognizable faces in Hollywood with movies like Macbeth, Steve Jobs, and 12 Years a Slave. Fassbender is next set to appear in Kung Fury 2 and the upcoming Taika Waititi sports dramedy Next Goal Wins.
Andrew Scott (John "Cowboy" Hall)
Andrew Scott has a minor role on Band of Brothers as John “Cowboy” Hall, the mortar tech who was killed by a landmine. In the years following the HBO limited series, Scott has given memorable performances on shows like John Adams and Black Mirror, with his most recognizable being those of James Moriarty on Sherlock and The Priest on Fleabag Season 2. Scott is set to play Tom Ripley in the upcoming limited series Ripley.
James Madio (Frank Perconte)
James Madio took on the role of Frank Perconte, one of the core members of Easy Company, on Band of Brothers. Over the course of the past two decades, Madio has shown up in movies like Kick-Ass, Jersey Boys, and Bottom of the 9th, as well as television programs such as CSI:Miami, Cold Case, and Blue Bloods. And like numerous other members of the Band of Brothers cast, Madio will soon appear on The Offer.
Ross McCall (Joseph Liebgott)
Ross McCall took on the role of Joseph Liebgott, one of Easy Company’s paratroopers, on Band of Brothers. In the years following the release of the HBO limited series, McCall had runs on 24: Live Another Day, White Collar, and Crash, with smaller roles on everything from Fear the Walking Dead to CSI: NY. McCall will soon appear on the Apple TV+ original drama series Suspicion.
Rick Gomez (George Luz)
Rick Gomez stepped in to portray radio tech George Luz on Band of Brothers. Since then, Gomez has had a mixture of live action voice acting roles in various films and television projects including Justified, Burn Notice, Ray, and Sin City. Gomez most recently appeared in the unaired pilot of the attempted NYPD Blue reboot in 2019.
David Schwimmer (Herbert Sobel)
David Schwimmer was still in the height of his Friends fame when he joined the Band of Brothers cast as Captain Herbert Sobel, the man who ran a tight ship during basic training. In the years following the conclusion of both shows, Schwimmer provided voice work for the Madagascar movies, and made appearances on shows like Curb Your Enthusiasm, Web Therapy, and Will and Grace. In 2021, Schwimmer and the rest of the Friends cast got back together for the long-awaited reunion special on HBO Max. He is currently one of the leads on the spy comedy series Intelligence alongside Ted Lasso’s Nick Mohammed.
Tom Hardy (John Janovec)
Tom Hardy, who would go on to appear in movies like The Dark Knight Rises, Inception, and The Revenant, got his start on Band of Brothers when he took on the minor role of John Janovec. In the years since his 2001 debut (the same year he made his theatrical debut with Black Hawk Down), Hardy has gone on to lead shows like Peaky Blinders and movies like Mad Max: Fury Road. Hardy most recently appeared in the 2021 Marvel Comics movie Venom: Let There Be Carnage.
James McAvoy (Pvt. James Miller)
James McAvoy already had a few performances under his belt by the time he was cast as James Miller on Band of Brothers, but nothing compared to the success that would follow in the years following. Since then, McAvoy has led the X-Men franchise as a young Charles Xavier, terrified in Split and Glass, and captivated audiences in the likes of Atonement and Filth. He most recently appeared in the mystery thriller My Son.
Despite being quite a list, this barely scratches the surface of the Band of Brothers cast and didn’t even talk about Jimmy Fallon, Simon Pegg, Stephen Graham, and the many others who popped up at one point or another in the 2001 HBO epic. If you want to get all the information on what HBO will be bringing audiences the next few months, check out our schedule of 2021 fall TV premiere dates.
