The 2001 HBO series “Band Of Brothers – We Were Like Brothers” placed the utmost emphasis on providing the most historically accurate representation of Easy Company’s European campaign. As a viewer you follow the path of the paratroop regiment in ten episodes, from training in Atlanta to Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest in Berchtesgaden, Bavaria.
Steven Spielberg, who co-produced the series with Tom Hanks, revived a tactic he had already used on Saving Private Ryan. So that the core cast of “Band Of Brothers” could understand the hardships of the real Easy Company, the actors were sent through a ten-day boot camp in England. This was led by Vietnam veteran Captain Dale Dye.
An extreme test for the actors
Not only were the actors denied access to telephones, they also had to address each other by their Easy Company names. But that was just the beginning. The stars had to work 18-hour days. At 6 a.m., the garrison faced a five-mile run, followed by orienteering, firearms exercises, tactical maneuvers, simulated firefights and night watch duties.
Rick Gomez, who played soldier George Luz in ‘Band Of Brothers’, made his exhaustion clear in a video diary: “We have no more strength.” But that was not enough, because the barracks reportedly smelled terribly “like feet”. Plus, as Donald Malarkey actor Scott Grimes recalls, there were guys who cried themselves to sleep on the first night of boot camp.
The painful training was apparently worth it for the actors. Not only was there a better understanding of their real role models, but a connection was also made with the daily life of a military unit. In addition, the sense of community within the group was greatly enhanced. This meant that “Band Of Brothers” achieved exactly the level of authenticity that continues to make the series so incredibly popular today.