The cast of HBO's Band of Brothers is filled with talented actors — many of them were on the cusp of fame when the miniseries debuted in 2001 — playing every sort of soldier in World War II. More than 20 years later, it remains one of the best TV miniseries of all time thanks to outstanding acting by its ensemble cast.
The performances keep audiences invested in the idea that the men were truly brothers in arms. Some characters appeared for only a few episodes or even just one scene. Others remained front and center for the whole series. There are some actors whose performances stand above the rest, bringing true humanity to real figures from history.
Ron Livingston As Lewis Nixon
Lewis Nixon is the second lead of the show behind Dick Winters, and he balances out Winters' straight-laced personality with his own cavalier attitude. Ron Livingston plays Nixon brilliantly, giving him a gravitas that explains why he is constantly promoted but never losing his fun-living edge.
One of the best episodes showcasing Livingston's acting capabilities is episode 9, "Why We Fight". Up until this point, Nixon has been a level-headed, take-it-on-the-chin officer and his frequent drinking throughout the show has been a source of comedy. But in this episode, Nixon is revealed to be an alcoholic, covering up his feelings of fear and nihilism about the war and Livingston change's his character's demeanor in an instant to show his two sides.
Kirk Acevedo As Joseph D. Toye
Joseph Toye is one of the of Easy Company who makes it out of the war, albeit maimed. Kirk Acevedo plays a good soldier who doesn't pretend to be brave or a hero. He just does his job and keeps his spirits up well enough to make sure no one else gets down.
Acevedo's scene during the D-Day assault on the gun positions is incredibly well done. Toye survives two grenade blasts in a row and when the character gets up, the actor perfectly plays someone both happy of their survival, bewildered by their luck, and angry that they're there in the first place.
Shane Taylor As Eugene Roe
Shane Taylor has the rare accreditation of appearing in every episode of the show. But it isn't until episode 6 "Bastogne", when Easy Company is pinned down in the frozen forest during the Battle of the Bulge, that Eugene Row makes a case for himself being one of the best characters in Band of Brothers. The action focuses on the only medic in the company as he contends with rising casualties and dwindling supplies.
Taylor deftly plays Roe's stoic nature in the face of hopelessness. He looks to be nearly in tears every moment except when he is needed to help, then he tightens his face and gets to work. After every trip to town and back to the line, Taylor somehow makes Roe look more despondent each time.
Donnie Wahlberg As C. Carwood Lipton
Mark Wahlberg is the better known actor of the Wahlberg brothers, but Donnie puts in as good a performance as any Mark has done in a movie with his portrayal of Carwood Lipton. Donnie's portrayal of the humble captain makes the character strong as believable as someone others would look up to.
Lipton is someone who is supposed to be a leader while never realizing that's how others view him. Donnie does a great job of being believably confused when Captain Speirs tells him Easy Company has already picked him as their leader. In that moment, Lipton is honored, humbled, and a little scared.
Marc Warren As Albert Blithe
Albert Blithe is only in three episodes of Band of Brothers before he is killed in battle. But during that time, Marc Warren plays Blithe as a soldier who is shell-shocked from the moment he lands in . It is not easy to capture the 1000-yard stare of a soldier with PTSD without overdoing it, but Warren gets it done and gives one of the best performances in the series.
Blithe has to go through a number of emotional changes all while being completely terrified. He's first despondent, then terrified, then gives up any hope of surviving just to get through the battle, and Warren makes the audience believe his emotions are true.
Dexter Fletcher As John Martin
There are a number of men in Easy Company who do not have any big scenes or emotional lines, they are just always there, steady and constant presences praying to survive the war. Dexter Fletcher plays one of these men, John Martin who appears in nine episodes.
Fletcher is a veteran presence in the Company and while he is well and truly "one of the guys" he can also act as a leader when need be. Fletcher's bemused face perfectly sums up the character as a soldier willing to do whatever it takes to get home while working hard not to lose too much of his humanity.
David Schwimmer As Herbert M. Sobel
What really makes David Schwimmer's turn as Captain Herbert Sobel is that it came right in the middle of his Friends run where he played Ross, a funny character. These two could not be more different, and Schwimmer takes the challenge head on, playing Sobel as angry, blowhard and never once winking at the audience.
This is a difficult character to play because while he has to be completely unlikable as the first antagonist against the heroes of Easy Company, he also has to be played competently to show why he is training the company in the first place. Schwimmer does both, and his frustrated impotence in front of Major Winters later in the series seems real.
Neal McDonough As Lynn D. (Buck) Compton
Neal McDonough gets to play a soldier at his very best and at his lowest in Band of Brothers. Buck Compton is one of the best soldiers in Easy Company. A great leader and a fearless combatant but his morale waivers in Bastogne, and he eventually breaks down due to the PTSD seeing so many of his soldiers dying.
McDonough plays the character first with bravado and then increasing erraticism as more of his friends become casualties. He does it so subtly that when he's finally sent home for mental well-being, the audience is not surprised at all.
Ross McCall As Joseph D. Liebgott
Joseph Liebgott might be the angriest character in Easy Company and Ross McCall plays him with a quiet rage that breaks occasionally. When his gun is emptied to escort German prisoners, when he finds the concentration camp, and when he shoots the Nazi official in the back, McCall's face shows a man angry and seeking revenge.
But he can play the other side of that as well. On two occasions, Liebgott shows much more humanity. When he forces the Jewish prisoners to stop eating for their own safety, viewers can see the pain on his face. When he translates the German general's surrender speech, one can tell how he is reconsidering his contempt for the German soldiers.
Damian Lewis As Richard D. Winters
Band of Brothers may not have been the same show without Damien Lewis at the helm as Richard "Dick" Winters. While it is an ensemble series and no character has vastly more screen time, most of the show is seen from Winter's POV. Damian plays the soldier with confidence and humility, allowing him to be sarcastic and kind at the same time.
While most of his scenes require Winters to be calm and reserved, his scene in episode seven, "The Breaking Point" lets the actor show more range. His fury at Norman Dike leading a suicidal charge is great to see and allows the actor to express the frustration and outward anger he usually keeps stored up on the show.