My husband son and I watched this series when it came out we loved it. My husband and son have been dead for 10 and 5 years God rest them. I would love them to show Band of Brothers again.
Wow … this one really got to me. In tears by the end of it, that story of Guarnere calling Frank on 9/11 to make the comparison of the heroism of the first responders to the guys who volunteered to fight in WWII is a sobering reminder about the potential for courage all these years later and that all of us should keep those sacrifices in mind as we try to live our lives the best we can today.
Oh yeah, definitely. That story brought me back to 9/11. I still remember everything exactly the way it happened. I was a high school freshman in a small town of 8,000 people, and the next day, a lot of the upperclassmen were gone. They had all skipped school to try and enlist, just like our grandfathers had done the day after Pearl Harbor. None of us really knew what was going on, but we all knew that someone had killed a lot of people in New York City, so, as much as we disliked big city people (small town bias from the late 90s), we all wanted to avenge them because, in the end, we're all Americans. Of course, younger guys like me knew we would have to wait until we were old enough, so we went on living our lives. In Fall 2004, as a senior, one of my old track team captains was back in town. If I remember correctly, there were so many enlistments that he actually graduated in Spring 2002 before he could even start boot camp, so we had a season of track together, although I was only on the freshman team while he was on the varsity team. Anyways, he took me out to lunch and told me about how the military shaped him up. He had always been unfocused outside of track, but here he was, a full-fledged man. He found his direction in life, just like a lot of other guys from small towns. I told him I wanted that. I would turn 18 in November and wanted to "do my part" for others. To this day, I still remember him looking me in the eyes and saying, "We already did that. Go to college. You're probably the smartest kid our town has ever seen, and you don't even know that. If you really want to do your part for others, find the right college for yourself and go find out what you can do with your brain. Go live the life we all wanted everyone to live while we were doing everyone's part." I've since lost touch with him. After college, I did consider joining as an officer in the troop surges, but his words kept coming back to me and reminding me that I could serve others, even without a uniform. I don't know if his words were inspired by Saving Private Ryan (to be fair, lots of people probably already said the same things before the movie, but it made me feel like the young kid talking to the man who was only a couple years older), but considering all the sacrifices made by those upperclassmen and others like them, I like to think I'm doing enough of what I should be doing to earn this.
Any directors, casting directors, give this man as much work as he can handle. He's not only a genius actor, he's a wonderful man. So glad he was picked to play Guarnere.
Frank John Hughes, what a legend. Received the gift of a lifetime earning this role and in turn, gave all of us the huge gift of his performance right back. Really loved this episode
Frank, I think you pulled off your character better than anyone, so much so that when they interviewed the vets without the names, there was little doubt who Guarnere was. You absolutely nailed the accent, especially the laugh (loved that laugh). I also enjoyed seeing him and Babe meet for the first time and watching their friendship blossom, one that would last for the rest of their lives. Great job bringing to life a young Guarnere, you’re a terrific actor and did a great service with this role.
I watch reactions to the show on youtube, and i notice that after episode 10, everyone recohnizes Wild Bill. That is an awsome evidence of Frank John Hughes acting ability.
Band of Brothers series is the all-time best series ever to be produced. Ive watched it dozens of times and get something new from it every single time. God Bless Easy Co!
""Whats that guys problem?" "gonorrhea" "really?" "his name, dummy, Guarnere, gonorrhea, get it?" This is awesome, these podcast have been fantastic, I know we've all been waiting for the Frank John Hughes one. He did such a amazing job with his portrayal of Wild Bill.
What a great episode, definitely my favorite thus far. Frank gave a fantastic account of his experience that stirs so many emotions. Babe talking to "Skip Muck", Tom saying to Frank that "This is why we do it", everything. What an amazing testimony, I wish we could all meet Bill and Babe.
The whole podcast series is just what we want being a big fan of wild bill this is the ducks guts Frank is a legend the paid killer thing gets me every time
So happy to hear these stories. I had the distinct privilege to meet the real Wild Bill once at a WWI memorial fundraiser in Philly when I was still in the Army. I hadn’t watched the show yet at that point. I watch it more than once a year every year since.
I feel honestly, any man, any guy should listen to this man. What a great podcast that not only captures the men who fought like Lipton and bill and Nixon, just gives you the actors perspective, as guys who were changed, by being in contact with how they say, the greatest generation. They Truely were the best of us all.
I’ve been re-watching the series as I normally do during this time of the year - hard to believe the show is 20 years old! What a wonderful podcast, I had heard some of the stories before but to hear a more recent retelling of them makes it all the more fresh. Big thanks to Mr Hughes and especially Staff Sergeant Bill Guarnere and his Band of Brothers.
"I was there when you got it, Skip".. That hit... It's similar to the Real Major Winters opening the Truck on set and seeing the "ghosts" in the back eating the beans....
Roger, You are doing a great job man. These interviews are fantastic. It's great to get hear everyone that was involved making this classic series. Especially when the actors would come in and audition for a different role. I just watched the show again.
When 1 hour only feels like 15mins, you know it's something fantastic! Really enjoyed this one! Some amazing stories and brought tears to my eyes a few times.
Loved this ep! Love the deep friendship formed with the real guarnere; hughes talked about him with so much respect and admiration it really makes me wish i met him along with all the great men of easy co! And the story of the real babe heffron shaking richard speight introduced as skip much, and the real babe saying “damn kid, i was there when you got hit” gave me chills. What hughes said was beautiful, how to them everyone there were in a way ghosts. Just such a great podcast series, can’t wait for the rest. This series was truly the greatest and one of its kind ♥️
This podcast is incredible. Frank/Bill's stories are amazing. My deepest thanks to the real guys and the actors. Thanks for producing this series, Roger.
After listening to this podcast, I realized that a large part of the success of this series was the fact that the actors involved did really a lot of research and legwork themselves.
I wasn't expecting that moment of Babe meeting the guy who plays Muck. That was a hard hit and I choked up. I also love hearing the stories about Babe and Wild Bill. I wish I could've been there. R.I.P. to the entire Easy Company
John Hughes was a legend playing Bill in easy company. From his presence and role playing. John playing Bill was as outstanding a performance of any of the characters you will see in any series on war. Whom he was and his leadership was a real loss to the company when he got injured. And when I seen that scene with Buck Compton taking his helmet off I thought Bill Guarnere and Joe Toye were dead!
Tremendous episode, and series so far. Listened on the train earlier and was mesmerised by FJH’s stories, and testament to his portrayal of Wild Bill that guys joined up, and too made huge sacrifices. Bravo.
Frank John Hughes should be cast in more big stuff. The guy portrayed one of the most bonified badasses in the history of the American Army (with perfection) and was the guy who whacked the Shah of Iran (on the Sopranos). I almost fell out of my chair when I saw him in "The Offer". It was like seeing an old friend.
Amazing episode. I really appreciate the level of respect that everyone involved with BoB had for the real life veterans. They knew they had to get it right. I really wish we got more of these stories on television and in film - people today need these stories more than ever. And thanks to all veterans for what you’ve sacrificed. 🙏
What a coincidence! Just after seeing the episode 3 of this podcast, I was just watching a movie called "The Angel Wore Red", and found an Italian actor in it who, and I kid you not is Matthew Settle's doppelganger! I mean twins! His name is Francisco (Nino) Castelnuovo. Chech it out. He just passed away on September 6th.
Liebgott and another soldier shot two guys wearing German ponchos and carrying a German rifle on the other side of a hedgerow. When they came over and checked the dog tags it turned out to be two Americans.
One of the greatest pieces of filmmaking in history, along with “the Pacific”. I can’t wait until the Eighth Air Force series. I just wish you would do a series on the surface fleet sailors including Doris Miller and Ernest E Evans. The barroom brawl, the battleship action off Guadalcanal, Leyte Gulf. There are so many stories that Eric Hammel brought out in his books that would be even more overwhelming than “The Pacific”.
I always think that too, and i never forget it, what Hughes says: This generation was forged from the Great Depression (meaning they didn't take anything for granted, they believed in hard work above all else, a sense of duty, to perform a job well done and not whine about unfairness, but stepping up and doing the right thing). It is refreshing to hear Hughes reveal that Gaurnere believed that the generation of men and women today would step up the same when needed. While we have our heroes today with our nurses and doctors and first responders with the recent pandemic, as well as with the attacks on 911 twenty years ago, I'm afraid I hold my strong (and worried) belief that we are turning out fewer and fewer of these heroes, with each passing generation, and that I can't believe that most in society today would not whine their way into the fetal position and cry at how unfair things are if a wide spread disaster were to come; they would do very little to work as a team. I hope I'm wrong.
I'm glad that some actors understand the importance of the role. My grandfather *was* a member of the Band of Brothers... he could have cared less who portrayed him. He was captured in Holland, so he didn't make "the cut". But he was a beautiful man. Hollywood would have traded him for a cheap car in a heartbeat. Thanks I guess.
I wonder if any of those guys saw that as their opportunity to say goodbye to some of their friends. Muck and Penkala of course were gone so quick, that seriously might have been Babe’s way of getting closure with that trauma.
The performance of the 82nd Airborne at Nijmegen and the 1st British Airborne and Free Polish at Arnhem were even more astounding than the great 101st Airborne at Eindhoven. Definitely a bridge too far, but excellent troops.
dam i need to rewatch the complete boxset ,again 4th time this will be so its blu ray upgrade. alway's thought sopronos was the greatest tv show ever ,but on reflection and listing to these pod cast's, wich are so engrosing and informative as i have so much respect for anyone who has gone to war ,but im no adovocate of war by any means.This show has to be the gfreatest ever filimed.
One of my dream is one day acting like this worldwar tv series or movie 😍❤️ anyways band of brothers my best 1st tv series and the pacific in my 2nd best tv series ❤️ Good luck guys😍
