Sumith Prasad
HBO’s ‘Band of Brothers’ is one of the greatest war series of all time. The groundbreaking television show, created by two of the most celebrated icons of their generation Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg, does justice to its subject matter with its grandeur and magnificence. One of the most significant aspects of the show is its ensemble cast, led by Damian Lewis, who portrays Lieutenant Richard Lewis, the protagonist of the series. The cast of the war drama also includes several guest members who went on to become celebrated actors of the present times. If you are intrigued about the cameos in the series, you are at the right place!
10. Colin Hanks as Henry S. Jones
Colin Hanks is an actor who established himself in the industry without being overly compared to his father Tom Hanks, one of the most renowned actors of all time. He is known for his performances in ‘Orange County,’ ‘King Kong,’ ‘Dexter,’ ‘Fargo,’ etc. He plays Mike Emmick in ‘Impeachment: American Crime Story’ as well. Before delivering remarkable performances in these projects, Colin was a part of the cast of ‘Band of Brothers,’ co-created, co-executive produced, co-written, and co-directed by his father, featuring in the show as Lieutenant Henry S. Jones. Colin’s first appearance in the series is in the eighth episode as well.
9. Dominic Cooper as Allington
There aren’t many actors who garnered immense appreciation for performances delivered in productions by Marvel and the Royal Shakespeare Company alike. But Dominic Cooper is one of them. He plays young Howard Stark in ‘Captain America: The First Avenger,’ Dakin in ‘The History Boys,’ and Jesse Custer in ‘Preacher,’ etc. But before all these performances, Cooper features in the first episode, titled ‘Currahee,’ of the series as Private Allington. He is seen in a shot set in the mess hall of the 506th Infantry Regiment, along with Frank John Hughes, who plays William “Wild Bill” Guarnere.
8. Edward “Babe” Heffron as a Dutch Man
Edward “Babe” Heffron’s cameo in the series may not be a big deal for readers who have neither watched the series nor known much about the members of the Easy Company. But the viewers who have watched the seventh episode of the series may like Heffron’s cameo in the fourth episode as a Dutch man in Eindhoven. Heffron is the inspiration behind the eponymous character, who loses his friend and fellow soldier Julian in ‘The Breaking Point.’ The former Easy Company member also features in the show as himself, specifically in the interviews of the real soldiers who were a part of the company.
7. Simon Pegg as William Evans
There isn’t any doubt that Simon Pegg is a modern-day comedy legend. Pegg co-wrote and performs in Edgar Wright’s ‘Three Flavours Cornetto’ trilogy, comprised of ‘Shaun of the Dead,’ ‘Hot Fuzz,’ and ‘The World’s End.’ He also appears in ‘Doctor Who,’ ‘Star Trek,’ the ‘Star Wars’ franchise, and the ‘Mission: Impossible’ film series. But before his celebrated appearances in these projects, Pegg features in ‘Band of Brothers’ as William Evans, Captain Herbert Sobel’s first sergeant. The actor appears in the first two episodes of the war drama.
6. James McAvoy as James W. Miller
James McAvoy became the face of the ‘X-Men’ film series through his performances as Professor Charles Xavier. He garnered immense attention through his performance as Mr. Tumnus in ‘The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,’ Nicholas Garrigan in ‘The Last King of Scotland,’ Robbie Turner in ‘Atonement,’ etc. as well. The actor is also known for his impressive performance in M. Night Shyamalan’s ‘Split.’ In ‘Band of Brothers,’ before delivering these celebrated performances, McAvoy portrays the replacement officer James W. Miller, featuring in the fourth episode of the series.
5. Michael Fassbender as Burton Christenson
Before becoming an Academy Award-nominated actor, Michael Fassbender appears in ‘Band of Brothers’ to portray the recurring guest character Technical Sergeant Burton Christenson. In fact, Fassbender made his screen debut with his performance in the war drama. Fassbender then went on to appear in several renowned projects such as ‘Hunger,’ ‘Inglourious Basterds,’ the ‘X-Men’ films, ‘Shame,’ ‘Prometheus,’ etc. He earned an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor nomination for his performance as Edwin Epps in ‘12 Years a Slave’ and an Academy Award for Best Actor nomination for his performance as Steve Jobs in ‘Steve Jobs.’
4. Andrew Scott as John “Cowboy” Hall
Andrew Scott appears in ‘Band of Brothers’ after previously featuring in Spielberg and Hank’s collaboration ‘Saving Private Ryan’ as an extra. After playing several roles in a series of television films, Scott joined the cast of the war drama to play Pvt. John “Cowboy” Hall in the second episode of the series, titled ‘Day of Days.’ Although the actor’s appearance is limited to a single episode in the series, he delivers an impressive performance as a soldier who accidentally joins Winters’ Easy Company.
3. Tom Hardy as John Janovec
Tom Hardy is undoubtedly one of the most talented and dedicated actors of his generation. His performances in ‘Mad Max: Fury Road,’ ‘The Dark Knight Rises,’ ‘The Revenant,’ etc. are highly commendable. The celebrated actor, however, made his television debut in ‘Band of Brothers,’ playing John Janovec in the ninth and tenth episodes of the series. The performance is also his second screen appearance after his debut in Ridley Scott‘s war film ‘Black Hawk Down.’ Hardy delivers a striking performance in the war drama as the high-spirited soldier who dies tragically.
2. Jimmy Fallon as George Rice
It might seem unbelievable that Jimmy Fallon, one of the most celebrated talk show hosts of the present times, was a cast member of one of the greatest war series of all time. Fallon is not a face we may expect to see in a project co-created and co-executive-produced by Steven Spielberg. Still, he plays George Rice in the fifth episode of the series, titled ‘Crossroads.’ He is the lieutenant who provides ammunition to Easy Company as they head towards Bastogne to take part in the Battle of the Bulge.
1. Tom Hanks as a Red Devil
Tom Hanks is the co-creator and one of the executive producers of ‘Band of Brothers.’ He also co-wrote the first episode, titled ‘Currahee,’ and directed the fifth episode, titled ‘Crossroads,’ of the series. Despite being one of the greatest acting talents of his generation, he didn’t join the main or recurring casts of the series. However, it doesn’t mean that Hanks doesn’t appear in the series. He features in the fifth episode as one of the Red Devils, a British parachute regiment. Hanks’ unnamed character is seen sitting among other British officers and his appearance can be missed due to the blink of the eyes.
