“Tom Hanks saw your audition and got suspicious”: This actor was fired from one of the greatest series in history just days before filming began.

After Saving Private Ryan in 1998, Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks teamed up for a second World War II project a few years later. But this time, on the small screen.

2001 saw the release of the HBO mini-series Brothers in Arms, a fiction that is considered one of the best in television history. The series follows a group of American soldiers from training in 1942 to the liberation of Nazi Germany in 1945, including the parachute jump into Normandy on June 6, 1944.

Headlining the show: Spielberg and Hanks, the latter of whom, in addition to co-creating, also directed the episode “Crossroads” (1×05) – one of only 5 episodes of the series that he directed during his career.

Last minute release

However, a few days before the start of the filming of the miniseries, Tom Hanks decides to fire one of the actors.

in casting brothers in arms, we find names that are very popular today: Damian Lewis, Ron Livingston, James McAvoy, Andrew Scott, Tom Hardy, David Schwimmer and Michael Fassbender. That list should also include Conor Ratliff, who thought it was the right time to make a name for himself in the industry.

• This actor refused anesthesia to act like his character in the best war series of all time

Ratliff’s role in the show was small: he was supposed to play private Zielinski, who will only appear in the director’s episode. Tom Hanks (and who would eventually be played by Adam Sims), but it was a great opportunity to break into the business. After testing and several calls to casting directors, he signed on to the project. However, a few days before the start of filming, the actor received a message from his agent: “You must take the train to London now! Tom Hanks has seen your audition and is suspicious. He thinks your eyes are dead“-said the latter.

Connor Ratliff Then he hurried to London for the meeting Tom Hanks. He performed his scene in front of him and the latter thanked him for coming. However, after waiting for a few minutes, the casting director told her that she would not be part of the series. Connor Ratliff He described this moment as one of the worst periods of his life, an experience that even forced him to give up acting for a while.

Since then, things have changed and we were able to see the actress in several series, including Orange Is the New Black and Fabulous Mrs. Maisel. You can also see Mean Girls, Lolita Despite Me, currently in theaters.

Tom Hanks apologizes

Their first meeting took place in 2000: 22 years later, in 2022, Connor Ratliff met again Tom Hanks Who was a guest on his podcast called… “Dead Eyes”! The actor was able to express himself in this way, right in front of his eyes Tom HanksHow the dismissal affected him, and the latter apologized and called this memory “Terrible story“.

“First let me take full responsibility for what I did to you. It was definitely the director’s act, and I was“, he said Tom Hanksthen explained that it was “One of those very, very subtle decisions that pushes the story in the direction you want it to go.“

• ‘No one talks to me about this…’: Tom Hanks doesn’t understand why no one asks him about this movie he loves

Since starting his podcast in 2020, Connor Ratliff It has hosted many actors such as Seth Rogen, Zach Braff and Adam Scott and directors such as Damon Lindelof and Rian Johnson. He even talked to his son Tom HanksColin Hanks and that’s how he heard about the Forrest Gump Interpreter podcast.

“I was shocked. I was… I actually had a cold. My heart raced and I said, I did… what did I do? what did I do ?“, he added Tom Hanks. “In the holy of holies, what was the casting of Brothers in Arms… I’m pretty sure I said, “I don’t know man, this guy has dead eyes.” I could have said, “His hair is too blond, he’s too tall, and I don’t have an assistant taller than Captain Winters.” I could have said, “She’s very short and very thin… I could have said any of those things, and they would have been right, and it would have made sense.“

He added: “Whoever delivered what was said to you so authentically in the sanctuary of this meeting should break their kneecaps, because it is so… this is not allowed. There is no citation here. It is unofficial.“

Connor Ratliff Indeed, he agreed that the comment should not have been sent to him, but he attributed it to the chaos of filming. When the actor showed it Tom Hanks Portrait of his former actor, the latter said:These are not dead eyes. I can only tell now from this black and white 8×10.“

This is the best way to finish the story.

Brothers in Arms can be seen again on Prime Video via Le Pass Warner. Connor Ratliff can be seen in Mean Girls, Lolita Without Me in theaters now.