After their successful collaboration in Saving Private Ryan, Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg joined forces once again to become executive producers on the miniseries Band of Brothers, which was based on historian Stephen E. Ambrose’s 1992 book of the same name. The series dramatizes the history of Easy Company and their participation and sacrifices in World War 2.
The show went on to become a huge success and was rewarded at the Emmys for Outstanding Drama Miniseries. Lead writer Erik Jendresen who adapted this inspiring true story for the screen, revealed how he and Hanks agreed on one key aspect that they would not compromise on in the show. This decision ended up making the series the sensation that it was.
Tom Hanks Ensured That Band Of Brothers Had No Way Of Failing
In 2001, Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg put their creative minds to work to collaborate as producers on the HBO miniseries Band Of Brothers. A true story adapted from Stephen Ambrose’s book, the show starred Damien Lewis in his breakthrough role as Captain Richard ‘Dick’ Winters who led a brave squad of paratroopers during World War 2.
The series was brought to life by writer Erik Jendresen who did extensive research into the courageous actions of these soldiers through letters written by Winters himself, along with other extensive documentation. In an exclusive interview with Emmys Television Academy, he revealed that he collaborated directly with the real-life hero to get his facts correct.
In addition, executive producer Hanks who also had his valuable inputs for the script, believed that they were privileged to have this amazing treasure trove of information at their fingertips. Therefore, there was no excuse whatsoever to create a story that was completely honest and authentic in every sense. This motto, Jendresen stated, was the cornerstone that set the series apart.
From the outset, Tom and I — we had this embarrassment of riches. So we thought, ‘Let’s set the bar at an unreasonably high level of accuracy, and not compromise, and not necessarily be beholden to the strictures of traditional television writing or drama.’ Let’s let the truth lead the way.
This process, along with the decision to involve Winters in every aspect of creating the narrative, ensured that audiences were able to feel the actual bravery of these dedicated ‘band of brothers’ who laid their lives on the line for their country.
How Tom Hanks Inspired The Band Of Brothers Cast To Put Their Best Foot Forward
The Golden Globe and Emmy-winning miniseries Band Of Brothers saw Tom Hanks take his successful professional relationship with Steven Spielberg a step further by collaborating with him as executive producer on the show. Hanks was also involved in the scripting, which saw him turn writer for the 1st and the 5th episode.
The series had an ensemble cast of young stars playing these courageous soldiers. To prepare for their roles, the actors went through an intensive training session that involved a lot of physical challenges that tested their resilience.
After days of constant rigor, a few members of the cast looked to be fading away and mentally crumbling under the pressure. To ensure that their spirits were kept up in order to give their very best, Hanks, who was filming Cast Away at the time, flew in to give an inspiring pep talk to the team.
Neal McDonough, who played officer Buck Compton, recalled the Philadelphia star’s motivating speech that served as a welcome shot in the arm for the cast to pull their socks up. In the Inside Of You podcast, he reminisced about Hanks’ unforgettable entry and his monologue that galvanized the team to find the necessary inspiration that would get them going.
And then Tom Hanks came in a helicopter, with his Cast Away beard and hair. And gave us this speech as to why we owe it to the men of Easy Company to work our butts off to tell the truth, because they died for us. Were it not for them, we wouldn’t be speaking English right now, were it not for these men who gave their lives for us.
The actor’s words made such a big impact that McDonough and the rest of his co-stars began to revere and respect him even more than before. As it turned out, Hanks’ timely arrival ensured that everyone got back on the same page and worked towards a common goal.
Band Of Brothers is streaming on Netflix.
