‘Band of Brothers’ cast, then and now

Damian Lewis (Richard D. Winters)

Damian Lewis was Easy Company’s commander, and the series’ main character, Major Richard D. Winters.

Lewis told PEOPLE in 2018 he was hungover the day he landed the role. “I go out and get absolutely hammered… I come back at 3 in the morning and I get a phone call at 8 o’clock. ‘Damian, Steven [Spielberg] would like to meet you now, can you be here by 9?’… I have three showers, 17 cups of coffee, and I go in shaking. And Steven is there, and he’s already got his video on his shoulder and then they offered me the role, there in the room.”

The London-born thespian was unknown to American audiences at the time. The bulk of his short résumé involved British TV, including Poirot (1995). Following his HBO breakout, he continued his Hollywood rise in the Stephen King adaptation Dreamcatcher (2003), then went on to smaller movies like The Escapist (2008) and Keane (2005).

Lewis took on a series lead on the crime drama Life (2007–2009) and gained further acclaim as Marine turned terrorist Nicholas Brody on Homeland (2011–2014). The latter performance earned him an Emmy and a Golden Globe. 

After receiving more Emmy and Golden Globe nominations as Henry VIII in Wolf Hall (2015), he went mano-a-mano with Paul Giamatti on Billions (2016–2023) and made a cameo as movie icon Steve McQueen in Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood (2019).

Lewis was married to actress Helen McCrory from 2007 until her death in 2021. They shared two children.

Ron Livingston (Lewis Nixon)

Ron Livingston was the hard-partying, easygoing Captain Lewis Nixon.

“[Nixon] was an extraordinary guy and the rules didn’t quite apply to him,” he explained on HBO’s Band of Brothers Podcast. “That was the key with him, having that entitlement. He felt comfortable telling people what to do.”

Livingston made his screen debut in the Dolly Parton comedy Straight Talk (1992) before starring in the indie hit Swingers (1996) and the slacker classic Office Space (1999).

He landed a bit part in the not-quite-true-story Adaptation (2002) and played Berger, the boyfriend who infamously dumps Carrie via Post-It note on Sex and the City (2002–2003). He’s been a go-to player in comedies like Dinner For Schmucks (2010), Drinking Buddies (2013), and Tully (2018), but has also flexed his dramatic chops in Game Change (2012), The Conjuring (2013), and The Tender Bar (2021). The actor has been particularly prolific on TV, including roles on Boardwalk Empire (2013), Search Party (2016–2021), and Loudermilk (2017–2020). 

Livingston has been married to actress Rosemarie DeWitt since 2009. The couple have two children.

Scott Grimes (Donald G. Malarkey)

Scott Grimes played good-humored Technical Sergeant Donald Malarkey.

“There’s 1,000 platoons that did something amazing in World War II, but they just happened to write about this one,” he told UPI. “I’m so happy the world got to know about Don Malarkey because he is still to this day the strongest man I have ever met in my life.”

A working actor since the early ’80s, he starred in Critters (1986) as a kid and later appeared in Crimson Tide (1995), Mystery, Alaska (1999), and Party of Five (1994–2000).

After Brothers, he joined the cast of ER (2003–2009), then went on to Robin Hood (2010) and a guest arc on Justified (2015). Following appearances on Law & Order: SVU (2016) and NCIS: Los Angeles (2013–2017), he became a regular on Seth MacFarlane’s The Orville (2017–2022). The two have been frequent collaborators; Grimes voiced characters on Family Guy (2011–2020) and American Dad! (2005–present), and now stars in the Ted (2024–present) prequel series.

Grimes and his ex-wife Dawn Bailey share two children. He wed his Orville costar Adrianne Palicki in 2019, but they filed for divorce two months later. The pair briefly reconciled before filing for divorce a second time in 2020.

Donnie Wahlberg (C. Carwood Lipton)

Former teen idol Donnie Wahlberg played the stoic, gritty Lieutenant Carwood Lipton.

“It was like war, you know?… It was really, really hard,” he told Venice magazine about making the show. “We had to really be soldiers for that period. And ironically, like soldiers we complained [laughs]… But like World War II, when the war and the misery ended we came home to glory, you know?”

The Boston native rose to stardom in the late ’80s as part of the boy band New Kids on the Block. Post-NKOTB, Wahlberg transitioned to acting with supporting roles in Ransom (1996), Southie (1998), and a memorable opening scene in The Sixth Sense (1999).

 The singer turned actor led the short-lived cop drama Boomtown (2002–2003) and reunited with Lewis in Dreamcatcher. He starred in Annapolis (2006), Righteous Kill (2008), and three Saw installments before finding a home on Blue Bloods (2010–2024). Wahlberg has also dabbled in reality TV, namely Wahlburgers (2014–2019) with his family, including brother Mark Wahlberg, and reunited with New Kids in 2008. They have since released two albums and continue to tour.

Wahlberg was married to Kimberly Fey from 1999 to 2008. They have two sons. He wed Jenny McCarthy in 2014.

Michael Cudlitz (Denver “Bull” Randleman)

Michael Cudlitz was the cigar-chomping Sergeant Denver “Bull” Randleman.

He told Smithsonian magazine that real bonds were formed during shooting: “We get together once a year at my place in Los Angeles… Whoever is in town shows up… We’ve also bonded with the [veterans’] families. We told the stories of their fathers, grandfathers, and great-grandfathers with respect, reverence, and love.”

In addition to building sets as a construction coordinator, Cudlitz built a long résumé as a character actor on Growing Pains (1991–1992), Beverly Hills, 90210 (1992–1993), A River Runs Through It (1992), and Grosse Pointe Blank (1997).

After Brothers, he popped up on 24 (2002–2003) and Lost (2004–2010), then went on to star in Southland (2009–2013) before joining The Walking Dead (2014–2018) as Sergeant Abraham Ford. Cudlitz was a series lead on The Kids Are Alright (2018–2019) and Clarice (2021) before taking up the mantle of Lex Luthor on Superman & Lois (2023–2024).

Cudlitz and his wife, Rachel, have two children.

Neal McDonough (Lynn “Buck” Compton)

Neal McDonough was Lieutenant Lynn “Buck” Compton, a fan favorite beloved for his leadership and courage.

The actor was a familiar face by the time he was cast in Brothers. He played Lou Gehrig in the TV movie Babe Ruth (1991) and landed major TV guest roles throughout the ’90s. On the big screen, he played another ballplayer in Angels in the Outfield (1994), a redshirt in Star Trek: First Contact (1996), and a cannibalized soldier in the cult classic Ravenous (1999).

McDonough parlayed his Brothers relationships into other roles, including Spielberg’s sci-fi potboiler Minority Report (2002). He added Timeline (2003), Walking Tall (2004), and Clint Eastwood’s Flags of Our Fathers (2006) to his résumé before his memorable run on Desperate Housewives (2008–2009) as Nicolette Sheridan’s shady new husband.

Beginning with Captain America: The First Avenger (2011), he donned the bowler hat of Timothy “Dum Dum” Dugan in the MCU, while also bringing DC villain Damien Darhk to life in the Arrowverse. McDonough appeared on Suits (2014–2019) and had a memorable turn as a ruthless out-of-town mobster on Justified (2012). His recent movie work includes 1922 (2017) and Sonic the Hedgehog (2019). After booking roles in Yellowstone (2019) and American Horror Story (2021), he recently joined the cast of Sylvester Stallone’s Tulsa King (2024–present).

McDonough met his wife, model Ruvé Robertson, while filming Band of Brothers. The couple got married in 2003 and have five children.

David Schwimmer (Herbert Sobel)

David Schwimmer played against type as the cruel drill instructor Capt. Herbert Sobel.

By the time he appeared in the WWII epic, Schwimmer had achieved worldwide fame as Ross Geller on Friends (1994–2004). He picked up his share of movie roles as well, including The Pallbearer (1996), Six Days, Seven Nights (1998), and Apt Pupil (1998).

He traded the sitcom soundstage for the London stage in Neil LaBute’s Some Girl(s), followed by his Broadway debut in a 2006 production of The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial. The actor earned a second Emmy nod for his portrayal of Robert Kardashian in The People v. O.J. Simpson (2016).

In addition to voicing the Madagascar franchise’s skittish giraffe Melvin, he’s appeared in John Carter (2012) and The Laundromat (2019), and currently stars in Goosebumps (2025–present).

Schwimmer was married to British artist Zoe Buckman from 2010 to 2017. They have one child, Cleo.

Michael Fassbender (Burton P. Christenson)

Michael Fassbender booked his first substantial role as Technical Sergeant Burton Christenson.

“The first day of Band of Brothers I remember actually going to boot camp,” he told Vanity Fair. “We got into all our Army gear, and then we got on a bus and we headed off to boot camp for 10 days.”

The Irish-German actor made his cinematic debut in 300 (2007), but his career took off after his award-winning performance in Steve McQueen’s Hunger (2008). He re-teamed with McQueen for the sex addict drama Shame (2011) and 12 Years a Slave (2013), for which he earned his first Oscar nomination. 

Inglourious Basterds (2009) brought him further attention, followed by his casting as Magneto in X-Men: First Class (2011) and its sequels. He stole Prometheus (2012) and Alien: Covenant (2017), while adding acclaimed work in David Cronenberg’s A Dangerous Method (2011), Ridley Scott’s The Counselor (2013), Macbeth (2015), and Steve Jobs (2015), for which he earned another Oscar nod. Most recently, he headlined David Fincher’s The Killer (2023) and the spy series The Agency (2024–present).

Fassbender has been married to Alicia Vikander since 2017. They have two sons.

Tom Hardy (John A. Janovec)

Newcomer Tom Hardy played the energetic, macho, ultimately tragic Private John Janovec.

“Band of Brothers was my first job so I was virtually out of the frying pan and into the fire,” he told IGN. “I’d not had previous experience with working in front of the camera.”

After making his film debut in Black Hawk Down (2001), he was cast as the villain in Star Trek: Nemesis (2002) and continued to book small roles in movies while making his name on TV, including Wuthering Heights (2009). But his breakthrough was a maniacally intense performance in Bronson (2008), followed by a high-profile turn in Christopher Nolan’s Inception (2010). Then, the floodgates opened, from leads in Warrior (2011) and Locke (2013) to supporting parts in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011) and Lawless (2012). He was the supervillain Bane in The Dark Knight Rises (2012), twin gangsters in Legend (2015), and Max in Mad Max: Fury Road (2015).

The English actor earned his first Oscar nomination for The Revenant (2015), added a scene-stealing role in Dunkirk (2017), and scored a super(anti)hero franchise with Venom (2018). As his movie stardom rose, he maintained a presence on TV with Peaky Blinders (2014–2022) and Taboo (2017). He recently appeared on a Harley-Davidson in The Bikeriders (2023).

Hardy was married to Sarah Ward from 1999 to 2004. He was in a long-term relationship with Rachael Speed from 2005 to 2009, and they have a son together. He married actress Charlotte Riley in 2014, and they share two sons.

Eion Bailey (David Kenyon Webster)

Eion Bailey played aspiring writer Private First Class David Kenyon Webster.

Prior to Brothers, audiences may have recognized Bailey as the first Project Mayhem volunteer in Fight Club (1999), or as Rolling Stone founder Jann Wenner in Almost Famous (2000). Many may have also known him from appearances in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997) or Dawson’s Creek (1998).

He re-teamed with HBO for And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself (2003), starred in season 11 of ER (2004–2005), and won a Daytime Emmy for the TV movie Life of the Party (2005). The actor landed guest arcs on Once Upon a Time (2012–2017), Ray Donovan (2014), and seduced Liz Lemon on 30 Rock (2011). He appeared in The Stand (2020–2021) and is currently a regular on the horror series From (2022–present).

Bailey and his wife, Weyni Mengesha, have been married since 2011 and have two children.

Kirk Acevedo (Joe Toye)

Kirk Acevedo played tough-as-nails Staff Sergeant Joe Toye. 

He first caught viewers’ attention as Miguel Alvarez on HBO’s Oz (1997–2003), for which he was nominated for four ALMA Awards. He later won an ALMA for his role in Terrence Malick’s The Thin Red Line (1998).

He reunited with Malick for The New World (2005) and gained a foothold on network TV in Law & Order: Trial by Jury (2005–2006). He’s accumulated an extensive TV résumé since, with parts on Fringe (2008–2011), 12 Monkeys (2015–2018), Arrow (2017–2019), and Star Trek: Picard (2023).

Acevedo has been married to actress Kiersten Warren since 2005. They have one child.

Matthew Settle (Ronald C. Speirs)

Matthew Settle was Captain Ronald Speirs, a character equal parts fearless and brutal.

The actor played Green Lantern in a Justice League of America (1997) pilot, then made his feature debut in I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998). He also had roles in U-571 (2000) and The In Crowd (2000).

Post-Brothers, he guested on ER (2002), appeared in The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood (2002), and played Warren Beatty in the made-for-TV movie The Mystery of Natalie Wood (2004). Settle switched from actor to host for the History Channel’s Decisive Battles (2004), and re-teamed with Spielberg for the miniseries Into the West (2005). The actor later landed a long-term gig on Gossip Girl (2007–2012) as Rufus Humphrey but has not appeared onscreen since 2017.

Settle was married to actress Naama Nativ from 2006 to 2011. They share one child.