Categories Band of Brothers Print Media

“They Cried Themselves to Sleep”: How Spielberg Put Band of Brothers Cast Through Hell

The Cast Thought They’d Struck Gold Until They Realized Spielberg Wanted Them to Go Full ‘Method’

by Tom Nicholson | The Telegraph | September 9, 2021

Damian Lewis takes aim in the award-winning series, Band of Brothers. CREDIT: Alamy

Damian Lewis shrieked into a pillow and sobbed. It was 8am. Thinking he’d nailed his final audition with Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks for Band of Brothers’ hero Major Dick Winters, the actor had gone out to celebrate and collapsed into bed at 5am. Now it turned out that Spielberg and Hanks wanted another chat – and he was in no shape to face them.

“The biggest meeting of my life, and I’ve blown it,” he wrote in a diary soon after (an excerpt of which he published on his website in 2018). “I’ve had three hours’ sleep and I’m still drunk. By midday, I’ve had three cold showers, five coffees and stubbed my toe a lot. I walk into the office sweating heavily and shaking.”

Fortunately, Spielberg had seen Lewis in Hamlet on Broadway, playing Laertes. The actor clung to this scrap until Spielberg and Hanks began to peel away. “Steven’s off to watch his kid play soccer,” Lewis later wrote. “I want to tell him it’s called ‘football’. Probably not the best time, though. Tom has to go to buy a Christmas tree with his daughter. They leave.”

Continue reading “They Cried Themselves to Sleep”: How Spielberg Put Band of Brothers Cast Through Hell

Categories Band of Brothers Print Media Video

Band of Brothers Court Martial Scene

That One Scene

by James Clark | Task & Purpose | September 9, 2021

There’s a lot of bullshit in the military and it comes in many forms and for many reasons. There are ass chewings over uniform regulations, bloused boots, cuffed sleeves, shaved faces and hair length, as well as strongly worded reprimands for failing to show up 15 minutes early to formation. Oftentimes that’s all there is to it. You take the verbal hits and move on. But there is always — always — that little voice in the back of your head that dares you, double dog dares you, to take it higher up the chain of command.

For anyone who’s watched HBO’s 2001 hit World War II series Band of Brothers, it did happen — not just on screen, but in real life. In the very first episode of the series, then 1st Lt. Richard “Dick” Winters (played by Damian Lewis) is given the option to accept his punishment for a minor infraction or to request a trial by court-martial. Winters chooses the latter and signs the paperwork as his commanding officer, Capt. Herbert Sobel, played by a very sour-looking David Schwimmer, stares at him in stunned silence.

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Categories Band of Brothers Podcast Print Media

Introducing the Band of Brothers Podcast

HBO’s Official Band of Brothers Podcast

by Band of Brothers Podcast | HBO Max and YouTube | September 2, 2021

Hosted by Roger Bennett, HBO’s Official Band of Brothers Podcast retraces Easy Company’s journey from Normandy to the Eagle’s Nest, episode by episode, with insight from its biggest stars, including Tom Hanks, Damian Lewis, Ron Livingston, and Donnie Wahlberg. The podcast celebrates the 20th anniversary of one of the most iconic miniseries in television history – a show that honors an America which saved the world with selflessness, courage and everyday heroism. This 12-part podcast series will explore these themes via emotionally-rich, highly-researched interviews with individual cast members, revisiting the Emmy® and Golden Globe® award-winning epic.

Band of Brothers can be seen right now on HBO Max if you want to experience it again before the podcast debuts on September 9. Stream Band of Brothers and listen to the podcast on here, which is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and other major platforms.

Categories Band of Brothers Podcast

Band of Brothers Premiered at Hollywood Bowl 20 Years Ago

Twenty Year Anniversary

by Gingersnap | damian-lewis.com | August 29, 2021

Twenty years ago today, Band of Brothers premiered at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles on August 29, 2001. Here is Damian Lewis, Donnie Wahlberg and Neal McDonough arriving at the event.

Band of Brothers continues to be remembered as a remarkably accurate portrayal of a US parachute infantry company in the European Theater during the Second World War. Damian played U.S. Army Major Richard Winters in the HBO miniseries. Currahee!

View more photos of the premiere below, and visit this link here to see all photo albums related to Band of Brothers.

Continue reading Band of Brothers Premiered at Hollywood Bowl 20 Years Ago

Categories Band of Brothers Broadcast Media

Watch Band of Brothers For Thanksgiving – Nov 26, 2020

Series Airs on History Channel

by Gingersnap | damian-lewis.com | November 26, 2020

The History Channel US will be airing the Band of Brothers series on Friday, November 27, 2020 beginning at 7:00 a.m. CST / 8:00 a.m. EST.  Be sure to check your local listing. Currahee!

Visit History Channel website to view schedule of episodes here.

Categories Band of Brothers Broadcast Media Poll

Every HBO Miniseries Ranked – Nov 25, 2020

Band of Brothers

by Noel Murray and Scott Tobias  | Vulture | November 25, 2020

Some of the network’s best, most daring work has come in the form of a limited series.

As HBO miniseries started developing in the mid-’80s and early ’90s, the “It’s Not TV. It’s HBO” tagline would not have applied. With a notable exception of Robert Altman and Garry Trudeau’s Tanner ’88, early efforts like The Far Pavilions and All the Rivers Run — the latter unavailable for us to include — had the scope of a typical two-night network event, with little of the ambition and artistry (and premium-cable pruriency) that would come to define the network. Even some of the more lauded, award-winning benchmarks from the mid-2000s, like the star-packed Richard Russo adaptation Empire Falls or the lavishly appointed historical drama Elizabeth I, hadn’t evolved past a more traditional model.

Continue reading Every HBO Miniseries Ranked – Nov 25, 2020

Categories Announcement Band of Brothers In Development/ Pre-Production News Print Media

Apple Launches In-House Studio, Sets Band of Brothers Follow-Up Series – Oct 11, 2019

Masters of the Air

by Will Thorne | Variety | October 11, 2019

Apple is set to produce its first in-house series.

The show in question is Masters of the Air, a follow-up to the Band of Brothers and The Pacific series executive produced by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks. The legendary duo are on board once again, which comes as no surprise given that Spielberg was a prominent figure at the Apple TV Plus launch event in March. Masters of the Air will also be a limited drama and represents the first series greenlit with Apple serving as the studio. The tech giant has placed worldwide video heads Zack Van Amburg and Jamie Erlicht in charge of overseeing its new studio.

Based on the book by Donald L. Miller, Masters of the Air is said to follow the true, deeply personal story of the American bomber boys in World War II who brought the war to Hitler’s doorstep. The series is being written by Band of Brothers alumnus John Orloff, who is also a co-executive producer. The critically acclaimed Band of Brothers miniseries aired on HBO back in 2001, and featured Homeland and Billions star Damian Lewis in one of the lead roles. The show won a handful of Emmys and a Golden Globe, while its successor The Pacific was also an awards season success.

Spielberg is exec producing via his Amblin Television banner, alongside Hanks and Gary Goetzman for Playtone. Graham Yost, also an alumnus from Band of Brothers, will co-executive produce alongside Amblin TV’s Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey and Steven Shareshian of Playtone.

Masters of the Air will stream exclusively on Apple TV Plus and represents the second project for Apple to hail from Spielberg’s Amblin Television…

Read the rest of the original article at Variety

Categories Dreamcatcher Social Media

Throwback Thursday – March 21, 2019

Dreamcatcher

by Gingersnap | damian-lewis.com | March 21, 2019

Our Throwback Thursday this week is from 16 years ago! The film Dreamcatcher was released on March 21, 2003. Timothy Olyphant co-starred with Damian in this movie and they meet up again in 2019’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.  Visit our gallery here and here for a trip down memory lane.

Categories Dreamcatcher

Fright Night with Damian – Oct 25, 2018

Halloween Horror Films: Thrills and Chills

by Gingersnap | damian-lewis.com | October 25, 2018

How would you like to spend Fright Night with Damian? If you subscribe to Netflix, then we have the answer and the link to get you there.  Dreamcatcher is the 2003 film adaptation of the Stephen King novel of the same name. Four young friends who perform a heroic act are changed forever by the uncanny powers they gain in return-a telepathic gift. Years later the friends, now men, are on their annual hunting trip in the Maine woods when they are overtaken by a blizzard in which something much more ominous moves, and they must confront an unparalleled horror together. Damian, who plays history professor Gary “Jonesy” Jones in the film, talks about the plot (and his American accent) in this red carpet interview:

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Categories An Unfinished Life Announcement Broadcast Media Dreamcatcher

Find Damian on Netflix – July 31, 2018

An Unfinished Life and Dreamcatcher

by Gingersnap | damian-lewis.com | July 31, 2018

Trying to get through Damian’s IMDB and can’t find what you’re looking for? For those of you who are Netflix subscribers, you can stream the movie An Unfinished Life now and according to the Huffington Post, beginning August 1, 2018, you’ll be able to stream Dreamcatcher.

An Unfinished Life – Einar (Robert Redford), a recovering alcoholic rancher who lives with his loyal pal Mitch (Morgan Freeman), gets an unexpected visit from his daughter-in-law, Jean (Jennifer Lopez), and granddaughter, Griff (Becca Gardner). Einar holds a grudge against Jean because he feels she’s responsible for his son’s accidental death, but he reluctantly lets her stay at the farm when he learns that she’s trapped in a violent relationship with Gary (Damian Lewis). Over time, they grow closer and try to heal their emotional wounds. To learn more about Damian’s role in the film, please visit here.

Dreamcatcher – Four young friends perform a heroic act and are changed forever by the uncanny powers they gain in return. Years later the friends, now men, are on a hunting trip in the Maine woods when they are overtaken by a blizzard in which something much more ominous moves. Challenged to stop an alien force, the friends must first prevent the slaughter of innocent civilians by a military vigilante, then overcome a threat to the bond between them.

TRIVIA – Damian starred with Morgan Freeman in both movies, An Unfinished Life and Dreamcatcher. Damian and his Dreamcatcher co-star Timothy Olyphant have both been cast in Quentin Tarantino’s upcoming film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, due out July of 2019. Damian’s Dreamcatcher co-star Donnie Wahlberg also starred with him in Band of Brothers.

For more information, please visit Netflix

Categories Band of Brothers memory lane Print Media

11 Actors You May Have Forgotten Were in Band of Brothers – Dec 9, 2013

Embarrassment of Riches

by Kate Erbland | Mental Floss | December 9, 2013

HBO has an archive of award-winning material, but perhaps the crown jewel in the cable channel’s mini-series program is Band of Brothers, a ten-episode special presentation that brought World War II to startling on-screen life in 2001.

Chronicling the real-life experiences of the Easy Company of the U.S. Army 101st Airborne, Brothers dove deep inside some of the most essential parts of the war, from D-Day to Market Garden to the taking of Hitler’s private holiday residence. The remarkable stories told within it were only bolstered by a massive cast of new and emerging talent. Much of Band of Brothers was filmed in the UK, resulting in the casting of a bevy of up-and-coming British actors as some of America’s finest soldiers (alongside plenty of American talent, too), and also guaranteeing that you’ve probably forgotten many of the men who made the series so great.

Continue reading 11 Actors You May Have Forgotten Were in Band of Brothers – Dec 9, 2013