Band of Brothers Podcast | Episode 1 with Ron Livingston | HBO Max

Ron Livingston, who plays Capt. Lewis Nixon, joins host Roger Bennett to reflect on Band of Brothers' first episode. Ron reveals his research process to portray the enigmatic S-2 Intelligence Officer, the way he surprised Tom Hanks during his audition, and the total immersion the entire cast underwent during a 10-day actor bootcamp (which had them train like actual 1940s paratroopers). #BandOfBrothers
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Band of Brothers Podcast | Episode 1 with Ron Livingston | HBO Max

[@StreamOnMax]

What was the best moment from the first episode?

[@LTGormanLV-426]

Me: Oh, ok. Spaghetti dinner, they have some light instruction. Got it. ::the men running and puking up Currahee:: Me: Nope.

[@thenarcotikz]

Captain Sobel was a jerk, but effective at training. I enjoyed the🍝 dinner scene, only to see what a POS Sobel could be. The lone soldier scolded and told to run up Currahee again...soon joined by several of his brothers 😢😊

[@user-ch6xi7rh8k]

The scene in England when Winter's moves on without Sobel and the old British gentlemen on the bike gets turned around and says to Winter's: "You've done it now Yanks... You've captured me.". Just one of the beautiful subtleties and moments of that great series. To Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg: Please work with Dale Dye and create "No Better Place to Die". There's a clear demand for it!

[@heesungkim4515]

When george Luz fools sobel into thinking hes major horton

[@Euderos91]

I don't know, there is no HBO Max in the UK...

[@jessehuxtable]

In my opinion the best WWII drama ever told. Every actor was phenomenal, the stories were flawless, and the action amazing of course!

[@StreamOnMax]

a masterpiece

[@Bruce-1956]

Not always the most accurate. 1917 was in many ways as good.

[@EBlank3807]

Not an opinion. It is the fucking best

[@michaelblack9484]

@@Bruce-1956 1917 Was good, but it wasn't very realistic. A cinematic marvel, yes, but didn't necessarily deal with the realities of World War 1 accurately. It barely touched on trench warfare, didn't showcase the true brutality of the war, and the set pieces really looked like set pieces.

[@bighands69]

@@Bruce-1956 I loved 1917 but is not as detailed nor as good as Band of Brothers. We are all entitled to our opinions and are any of truly correct?

[@1rwjwith]

One of the great things in the series is the depiction of the relationship between Winters and Nixon, it just really rang true. Great acting by Lewis and Livingston for sure!

[@jordan2d2]

And how they are very different people that became best friends in war.

[@rg20322]

@@jordan2d2 And after the war, and he actually got straight from alcohol when he met his 2nd wife who truly inspired him. Read more about Nixon after the war.

[@cordyone]

Its funny to hear how so many people watch this every year. I thought it was just me and my dad! I watch it between xmas and new year, and it primes me for the year ahead, helps me stay humble and get my priorities right.

[@atomicwest995]

Ron Livingston has always been one of those actors that I root for. I don’t see him in nearly enough things, but whenever I see him I’m happy to. He seems like a decent dude. Great podcast.

[@JustSomeCanadianGuy]

Same, always nice to see him in anything!

[@JustSomeCanadianGuy]

I’m glad they touched on that boot camp documentary. That has got to be in the Top 5 best making-of docs I’ve ever seen!!! That speech Dale Dye gave at the end was so beautiful.

[@TheNewMode]

Band of Brothers is one of the VERY FEW film series that is loved equally by the film industry and historians alike. Such attention to detail and staying true as possible to characters while taking the liberty to show the drama and narrative that a big film series needs. After all these years, it’s such a masterpiece that it looks like it came out last year

[@sgtpepper1138]

Ron Livingston seems like such a good guy, I've always loved his acting. his show Loudermilk that he did a few years ago is really good.

[@ApocalypseNowWithEli]

When then Colonel had the foresight to realize Sobel wasn’t fit as a combat leader, thus arguably saving countless lives. For as petty as Sobel was he did assemble an incredible fighting force. He just didn’t have the chops to translate it to the field.

[@refugeeca]

Perhaps, but perhaps not. Sobel's replacement never got a chance to test his combat leadership skills. Their plane went down and everyone on board in the Company HQ was KIA including the officer who transferred to replace Sobel. If Sobel hadn't have been replaced, that would have been him KIA June 6th, 1944. I'm sure he was aware of this. Like "Lt. Dan" in Forest Gump, he was denied the honorable death and lived to waste away. If he had been KIA then people's memories would have lightened about him. Instead he missed out on the war entirely and stayed a loathsome memory.

[@dyllan-il5nu]

This is my great grandpa’s unit his name is Harold t Stedman

[@geekazoid1983]

The GPS coordinates are the location of Camp Toccoa, GA (for anyone that cares)

[@ketillundsrensen6167]

Sobel never got the appreciation that he deserved. He was hard but he trained some bad ass guys to do a difficult job with great success. He was maybe a bad felt leader but he created the foundation for some amazing soldiers.

[@stevemccullagh36]

Yes, Sobel was a petty, obnoxious man, but there isn't one of Easy who wasn't able to admit that if it wasn't for him and his training, much more of them would have died. His methods got them ready physically, and also brought them together as a true team, mainly because they all hated him so much.

[@CrozzaCine]

Well, this is making me want to watch it all over again and I can't tell you how many times I've watched it. It came out after both my Grandads had passed and even though they were in the British Army and Navy respectively, I knew after seeing this series just what sort if things they had gone through. Heroes, all of them!!

[@krisfrederick5001]

This is in some ways my favorite episode, if for nothing else the fact that Capt. Sobel and Army noodles with ketchup were their biggest concerns...knowing what lies ahead. Nixon: "You think it's clearing up?" Winters: "No" Nixon: "I think it's clearing up" Yeahhhh, Peter, I'm gonna go ahead and ask you to drop into Normandy on Sunday, we're kind of trying to play catch up. Thanks. P.S. Livingston is a a natural intelligence officer, it was meant to be 10:44

[@patton303]

My favorite TV series of all time. Never gets old. From the casting to the music score, what a stunning achievement in telling a story. I would really love to see an HBO series about the Battle Of Britain. I feel like that story hasn’t been told as well as Band Of Brothers.

[@heynowls3058]

Gotta love Ron Livingston. Nixon was the dry,cool funny character in show.

[@tigerbalm9999]

I finally watched this series last month. So glad this came out!!! What an amazing series, and it’s always great to get extras like these - especially so much time has passed.

[@gazorbo.]

Fantastic! Awesome interview. Ron Livingston, Thank you Sir.

[@patricknoveski6409]

This is so cool to talk to all involved with this series. Best ever as far as history goes. 👏

[@ivanohalleran7316]

This brilliant series showed the futility and savagery of war and the comradeship of the men under the most severe conditions. All the actors were superb.

[@gooner72]

The best military based series in history in my opinion..... by a Country mile, every single episode is brilliant, visually stunning and a total pleasure to watch.

[@luf4rall]

I was so empathetic to Ron Livingston's character. The best friend to the "great man and leader."

[@loviedebiasio8864]

I love Band of Brothers. I would have loved to be a back ground actor in one of these war movies movies

[@StreamOnMax]

if only

[@bengt-oveandersson2914]

@@StreamOnMax My neighbor and good friend, en Englishman who married a Swedish girl and moved here, was an extra in BoB. He was training to go to Afghanistan as an instructor for Afghan police, and this was a gig that paid nice. He told of the attention to detail, how even the extras got crew cut hair even though they never removed their helmets. He played a German soldier twice in Ep 3, once shooting a machine gun out of a window, and once being wounded and crawling away at the end. It's fun to hear him talk about his memories. He couldn't know though, that he was a small part of the best retelling of WWII so far. I watch it once a year, have been for the past 10 years or so.

[@carolynkeiser5545]

I watched this on Memorial Day 2023, thank you for this gift. I have never Celebrated this meaningful day in a better way 🙏 💛. God bless America and freedom Loveing people 🙏 ❤ all around the world 🌎 We are so blessed in all the world 🌎 because of those who serve and work to preserve our freedom. God bless them 🙏 ❤

[@pliny8308]

Ron Livingston has a beautiful voice, imo, and his accent is, to my ears, is the best representation of the American "voice".

[@2dollarcrew]

I’ve watched this series over 20 times through.

[@artfuldodger0870]

That George McClellan reference just increased my respect for Ron Livingston.

[@LiebeNachDland]

Very excited to hear from Damian Lewis. These have been some of the best podcasts I’ve ever heard and I just love the inter-spliced audio and grainy, edited in photos and slide shows. The series has been a major part of my life for maybe the last 14 years or so; from watching it may be a bit too young, at around 12, getting the DVDs and then the Blu-ray. Crossroads, perhaps being my favorite episode, a difficult and emotionally draining watch, and a very important breaking point for Winters in the series. A masterpiece that I think shall go down as the greatest thing put to television. I love the saturated look of the series, all the actors and every line to its dramatic core. Let’s not forget Michael Kamen’s brilliant soundtrack throughout and throughout. I even bought the Band of Brothers official CD soundtrack. Something that is so good for me, that I even had to learn the opening theme classically on the guitar. It’s something I’ll always remember and play.

[@brovold72]

This video/podcast series works really great the second time through. Thanks all!

[@IrishTechnicalThinker]

How am I only finding this now, band of brothers was life changing for me. Been obsessed with world war two since.

[@dirtcop11]

I like the scene in Holland where Nixon takes a round to his helmet and he sits up and says, "I'm all right, I'm all right. Am I all right?" It's horrifying at first then humorous when you know he is all right.

[@fivetalentsaudio]

David Schwimmer is so underappreciated in this. He largely carried the ball and set the tone for the whole series in that first episode. Without him nailing Sobel so welland setting such a strong context for the other characters, I wonder if as many casual viewers wouldve stuck around. I think the producers understood that too. That's why they cast a star. Really masterful performance. I had way more respect for him as an actor after this series.

[@billfarrell7051]

Far and away, the best miniseries in television history.

[@Minotaur1975]

Ron Livingstone reminds me of Jeff Goldblum in the sense that they just seem to act as themselves in whatever role they're in

[@TacGKilgore]

omg how did i miss this podcast... GREAT IDEA HBO... thanks... BoB is HBO's best work

[@michaelswami]

Loved this.

[@cowebb2327]

Outstanding interview!

[@rtasvadam1776]

David Schwimmer really does a fantastic job as Captain Sobel. Well the whole cast was perfect.

[@Bobbydawriter]

Of late I’ve had a real obsession with Band of Brothers and I related to the idea that I’ve been researching my families history and involvement in World War II. Particularly my dad and his three siblings one, 1Lt. Raymond Hilgenberg a fighter pilot in P-51 Mustang‘s was a true hero who was KIA at the age of 21 on a mission over Germany 24/02/45. But as I listen to the second episode and hear Ron talk it soothes me and reminds me of how real these young me were. I’ve recently come into My uncle‘s uniform and flight gear and it covers me with emotion. For a while I thought it was just me and my sentimentality over my uncle that drew me into the series whenever it airs, but I’m now realizing it’s much bigger than my tangental connection. Anyway, I quite appreciative of these podcasts and particularly Ron’s great insight…he’s one of my favorite actors…I used to be jealous of him because he was the actor I wanted to be! Cheers!

[@ronaldtartaglia4459]

11:57 spinal tap reference. Love it.

[@darthmong7196]

I just came across Loudermilk on Netflix. He must be smashing the alcoholic antihero genre.

[@alphaclam]

This is a great podcast thank you!

[@StreamOnMax]

👏

[@GunShark0]

@@StreamOnMax too bad your interviewees sound like they're being recorded through a tin can. What, did you send them a Nokia cell phone from the 90's to call in with? Ridiculous.

[@benf1111]

Hes such a great actor and I'm puzzled I didn't see him in more big productions after this.

[@HKim0072]

Starting to realize the casting was probably the most important part of the series.

[@ville4789]

I cry every god damn time I watch the Bastogne episodes, concentration camp scenes and of course the baseball scene.

[@fufu1128]

3 miles up! 3 miles down! Hiiii hooo Silver! 😆 Timeless show! Everything was perfect

[@55giantsfan22]

Ron seems so cool, i would love to sit and talk to him about band of bros. and office space

[@guns2317]

Just a small correction, Easy Company only got Lt Winters as their commander after D-Day when their new commander's C-47 went down in flames with all hands lost on the night of D-Day.

[@user-ch6xi7rh8k]

BoB the best ever of its kind!! To Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg: Please work with Dale Dye and create "No Better Place to Die". There's a clear demand for it!

[@andrewkawaoka634]

So brave at the forefront of war

[@bmcg5296]

Ron really done the man Richard Millar justice from the start the whole way through the series on the stress of war, to see the demotion that Major Winters had to impose on his close friend. Had to be a hard moment for Major Winters? That I don’t see anywhere on film from Richard Winters. To see Nixon become a alcoholic in the end, that Winters was there to help him. To try and help him through the whole mess he was in as his friend! To the end that became of Nixon dying so young in the end credits. They are all together now as men who were banded together, as individuals who had to work, live, sleep, and ultimately fighting with each other!

[@30AndHatingIt]

Didn't he live to be an old man?

[@jamesbarker2567]

🙏🙏

[@DreadPirateRoberts1]

Ohh the intro music 🎶

[@Chriskros1984]

I named my son Lewis because of him

[@darthukas]

These are so well made, they should be aired for the older people too, who dont use youtube

[@bobobandy9382]

No, not at all. The audio editing is horrendous.

[@darthukas]

@@bobobandy9382 its okay for me

[@gammeellenthebolan3262]

The best ever

[@GlennDavey]

"You PEOPLE... are at the POSITION... of ATTENTION!"

[@A-small-amount-of-peas]

This was such a risky series, kind of parallels the invasion of Europe in a way with the co-production between Britain and America. You have so many speaking parts for a unit that had hundreds of men who had served in Easy Company, how do you make an audience care about individual characters that we barely get a chance to explore much of their back stories? I can only say they did an amazing job. I know they tried "The Pacific" after this but I remember it didn't quite work as well as Band of Brothers. Launched so many careers and rightfully deserves to be remembered as one of the best TV series ever made

[@MiaMooreA]

@Necramonium I agree except for sledge.

[@IIISWILIII]

Sobel vs Winters seems similar to disparity between academia and real world application. Being a World-class professor doesn't mean that translates to being a World-class proformer in that subject matter. Being great with x's and o's or physical conditioning doesn't mean that you can ball out on Sunday....

[@tovvman]

Just a heads up, this podcast episode is not added to the BoB playlist

[@chillhard430]

" Now remember boys, flies spread disease......so keeps yours closed"

[@derekrayment8092]

As much as I want there to be another Band of Brothers-esque series with other wars or something, there never will be. I liked Pacific, and after rewatching it this past year, I like it more, but it wasn't BoB.

[@MiaMooreA]

A more modern take is Generation Kill. Its not for everyone however.

[@derekrayment8092]

@Necramonium oh yah. forgot about that one. excited.

[@jt.8144]

Good days back to 2001.

[@begley9]

Damn, really wish they would have done a little better getting better quality microphones from the guys on the other end. How hard would it have been to send a microphone to these guys?

[@paulmilne3242]

G2....not F2

[@fespa]

Currahee!

[@TheSalamanteri]

What is this Roger’s accent?

[@johnodonnell6400]

wow!

[@lolomagno3726]

on their smoking break, i smoke too.

[@bumholiou]

Whats with this guys voice

[@tomd6053]

Roger Bennet? Really? Ok 👍

[@bobobandy9382]

The editing is so bad. And he literally phoned it in.

[@jjorritt]

I love Band of Brothers. But i do not understand this. The series cost 130 mil in 2001 and in 2021 you make a podcast but you couldn't get proper microphones?

[@ronniebishop2496]

This is better that Winds of Wars. Which was a tremendous miniseries

[@jorgeluisyaccarino3161]

Se podrá castellano

[@raymondstrehl3679]

Good thing it wasn't ice cream It would've sunk the ship

[@user-bm8gu2zt6d]

我聽到英國口音還沒有字幕頭就很痛

[@merrid.4550]

the accent of the host is annoying ✌️✌️✌️ but great podcast 😁❤️

[@CDark7]

#RestoreTheSnyderverse

[@tylerdurden449]

#RestoreTheSnyderVerse

[@ColinAllanPhoto]

Dear HBO Max stick your programs where the sun doesn't shine as we the people of the UK won't get to see any of this as you have decided not to allow the people of the UK to get HBO Max, so stop showing programs and films we can't see...

[@TheLawDawg]

Why don't you just buy the DVD's? I have had them for years and I have never had HBO.

[@catherinelw9365]

Stop showing programs you can’t see? 🤦🏻‍♀️😂 What’s the difference? You can’t see them either way?

[@blindmanai6957]

Who doesn't use a VPN in 2021?

[@tomspencer5433]

There was no HBO either when it came out 20 years ago! It was on BBC2. Now most HBO content is on sky or NOW-tv

[@keithwolstenholme4238]

The cost of the dvds is ridiculous.

[@fransdekort5756]

So... I really love the show, but..was there nobody else available to do this podcast? Damn.. He is boring..

[@davidreinhart418]

This is one of the most boring podcast I’ve ever seen and heard. I love military history and the band of brothers but this is wrong.

[@andypazos697]

#RestoreTheSnyderverse #releasetheaffleckcut , #bringbackbatfleck , #batfleck , #releasethebatfleckfilm , #DeathstrokeHBOMax, #HenryCavillSuperman ,#MakeTheBatfleckMovie ,