Band of Brothers (2001) is a highly regarded miniseries celebrated for its realistic depiction of Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division. The series blends both well-known and up-and-coming actors and opens with a poignant prologue narrated by actual veterans. Yet, before production started there was some controversy when Tom Hanks decided to remove actor Connor Ratliff from the cast.
What prompted Hanks to make this decision?
Connor Ratliff successfully auditioned for Band of Brothers
During the casting sessions for HBO’s Band of Brothers, Connor Ratliff embarked on his entertainment career. He decided to pause his studies at the University of Missouri to dedicate himself fully to acting, refining his skills at the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts (LIPA). The miniseries, adapted from Stephen E. Ambrose’s book and backed by industry giants like Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg, presented a major career opportunity.
After going through several rounds of auditions, Ratliff learned he had landed the role of Pvt. John S. Zielinski Jr. While it was a supporting role, it provided him with valuable screen time alongside Damian Lewis, who played Maj. Richard Winters. However, Tom Hanks was notably absent from Ratliff’s audition.
Tom Hanks had his say… And the answer wasn’t good
Connor Ratliff was thrilled to be cast in Band of Brothers, and his excitement only grew when he learned Tom Hanks would be directing his episode.
“I was very excited,” he told The Telegraph years later. “They cut my hair. I remember the experience of going to the airbase and getting a costume fitting, and it was just such a huge production. And then I found out great news, like, the best news of all: Tom Hanks is directing your episode.”
However, things took a turn for the worse just a day before filming was scheduled to start.
“The day before I was supposed to film, I got a call from someone in my agent’s office, saying you need to get to London right now,” Ratliff recounted. “I said, I’m going later this afternoon, I have a train ticket. They were like, no, go to the train station. Now. Get on a train, get to London. Tom Hanks has seen your audition tape and he’s having second thoughts. He thinks you have dead eyes.”
Upon arriving in London, Ratliff had to re-audition for the role of Pvt. Zielinski, this time in front of Hanks. Sadly, it wasn’t meant to be, as he was informed they’d decided to go in a different direction, opting for someone with a more military-like presence.
The role ultimately went to Adam Sims.
Connor Ratliff takes a decade-long break from acting
Connor Ratliff experienced a major career setback when he was removed from Band of Brothers. This disappointment, coupled with other hurdles in his acting career, took a heavy emotional toll, prompting him to step back from acting for a time.
Nevertheless, Ratliff didn’t completely disappear from the public eye. He found a passion for improv comedy and quickly established himself as a performer at New York’s Upright Citizens Brigade. Although he was initially reluctant, he eventually made his return to the stage on The Chris Gethard Show (2011-18).
This comeback opened up new opportunities, leading to roles on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2017-23), The Blacklist (2013-23), and Search Party (2016-22). He also had the chance to portray Star Wars creator George Lucas on The George Lucas Talk Show (2020-present) and the podcast series Double Threat with Julie Klausner & Tom Scharpling.
Turning rejection into a hit podcast
Despite his success, Connor Ratliff has never forgotten about his Band of Brothers snub – and he’s since used it to develop a hit podcast. Aptly titled Dead Eyes, the show focuses on not only the impact the rejection had on his career, but also explores how such events can foster creative opportunities.
“My favorite thing that people will sometimes say on the podcast is, ‘I started listening to it, hoping that we’d get to an ending. And now, I hope it doesn’t. I hope you don’t get what you’re looking for.’ In a way, the mystery is the hook,” he explained to The Telegraph.
As it’s grown in popularity, Dead Eyes has afforded Ratliff the opportunity to speak with several high-profile guests, such as Elijah Wood, Jon Hamm, Zach Braff and Judd Apatow. He’s even spoken with Tom Hanks’ son, Colin, who reacted to the story by saying Ratliff’s experience was “the exact opposite” of the reputation Hanks has developed within Hollywood.
In reality, this is the reason why the incident has stuck with Ratliff. “If I’d been up for a James Cameron thing and he was like, ‘I don’t know, you have dead eyes,’ it would’ve hurt me, but I would’ve thought, like, Oh well, James Cameron is tough,” Ratliff told Vanity Fair. “If I had been up for, you know, a little role in Eyes Wide Shut and Stanley Kubrick said, ‘You have dead eyes,’ I would’ve been like, In his case, I don’t know if that means I’ve got the part! The classic Kubrick stare is dead eyes.”
Connor Ratliff finally got a response from Tom Hanks
It was only a matter of time before Connor Ratliff spoke to Tom Hanks himself, and that moment came in March 2022. The actor appeared on an episode of Dead Eyes, and what could have been an awkward moment turned out to be cathartic for Ratliff.
When confronted with the comedian’s story, Hanks commented that “not a single moment of this rings a bell.” However, that didn’t stop him from apologizing to Ratliff. What’s more, the apology shows just how much this incident weighed on the actor, despite his not remembering it.
“Let me first take full responsibility for doing this to you,” Hanks said. “This was without a doubt the act of the director, and that was me.” He added that it was “one of those very, very subtle sort of decisions that aims the story in the direction you want it to go.”
He further revealed that he was “aghast” when he heard how his actions had impacted Ratliff.
“I actually got chilled,” he explained. “My heart rate skyrocketed and I said, I did … I did what? I did what? In the inner sanctum of whatever this casting session was on Band of Brothers … I’m sure I said, ‘I don’t know man, that guy’s got dead eyes.’ I could’ve said, ‘He’s got too blond of hair; he’s too tall and I can’t have the aide be taller than Captain Winters.’ I could’ve said, ‘He’s too short and slight’.
“I could’ve said any of these things, and they would have been true and they would’ve been the opinion. Whoever communicated to you what was said, in the inner sanctum, with such authenticity, should have their kneecaps broken, because that is … That is not allowed,” Hanks added. “It’s not quotable there. It’s off the record.”
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The interaction also saw Ratliff show Hanks his old headshot, to which the actor commented, “These are not dead eyes. Can I just say that right now from this 8×10 black and white.”