10 things you never knew about 'Band Of Brothers'

HBO’s World War II miniseries “Band of Brothers” follows the men of Easy Company, part of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, from their training at jump school, to the airborne landings in Normandy, the Siege of Bastogne, and all the way to Hitler’s mountain retreat.

Based on the book with the same name by Stephen Ambrose, the show is a dramatized retelling of actual events and follows a group of elite and battle-hardened paratroopers as they fight across Europe, far behind enemy lines, with only each other to rely on.

The critically acclaimed 10-episode miniseries won a slew of awards including a Golden Globe for Best Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television, and inspired a second “Band of Brothers” series in 2010, which follows the US Marines in the Pacific theater of the war.

To ensure historical accuracy, the series drew from Ambrose’s story, as well as memoirs and personal accounts from Easy Company soldiers. Each episode opens with interviews from the men who fought in some of the war’s most brutal and unforgiving battles.

Here are 10 things you didn’t know about HBO’s World War II war drama:

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1. This show made a lot of people’s careers

This cast is full of actors who have gone on to become major stars since it came out. From Tom Hardy to Michael Fassbender, Simon Pegg, Damian Lewis, and James McAvoy, “Band of Brothers” introduced audiences to a whole host of talented actors.

2. Creating 'Band of Brothers' was an enormous and expensive undertaking

The miniseries, with a budget of $120 million, took three years to make and was filmed on a 12-acre set that was continually modified to represent 11 different European locations. If you want a comparison for scale: That’s five times the size of the set for “Saving Private Ryan.”

3. HBO had an army of extras

According to the behind-the-scenes film, “The Making of ‘Band of Brothers,” there were 10,000 extras, 500 speaking roles, and a massive wardrobe department that supplied detailed and authentic uniforms, including 500 pairs paratrooper jump boots manufactured to fit the original Army specifications.