Saving Private Ryan Cast: Where Are They Now?

The Saving Private Ryan cast featured an ensemble of talented young actors whose careers turned out successfully. Despite being released over two decades ago, Saving Private Ryan is still considered one of the greatest films ever made. Interestingly, Saving Private Ryan is Steven Spielberg’s twentieth directed feature film.

Set during World War II, Saving Private Ryan follows Captain Miller and his squad, tasked on a mission to find and bring Private James Francis Ryan home. The squad navigates dangerous territory, encounters intense combat, and questions the ethics of risking many lives to save just one. Besides being critically acclaimed, Saving Private Ryan was a Box Office hit, grossing $482.3 million against its $65–70 million budget. Here’s a look at the careers of the main Saving Private Ryan cast today. 

Tom Hanks as Captain John H. Miller

Tom Hanks in Saving Private Ryan

Tom Hanks led the Saving Private Ryan cast as Captain John H. Miller, a central character in the film. He led the soldiers to locate and safely return Private James Francis Ryan. Captain Miller is killed in Ramelle during a German assault after he takes command of Ryan’s group. As the lead actor, Tom Hanks was the only established and popular actor at the time Saving Private Ryan was released. 

Hanks had already been nominated three times at the Academy Awards, winning two. Since then, Hanks has received two other Oscar nominations for his performances in Cast Away (2000) and A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019). Tom Hanks has spent the last two decades starring in several successful films and TV shows. A few of his most notable roles in the past years include Elvis (2022), Pinocchio (2022), A Man Called Otto (2022), Asteroid City (2023), and Here (2024).

Tom Sizemore as Mike Horvath

Tom Sizemore in Saving Private Ryan

Mike Horvath served as Technical Sergeant in Captain Miller’s squad. He was a tough and loyal soldier, acting as Miller’s second-in-command and a close, longtime friend. Horvath also died during the climactic battle at Ramelle while defending the position against advancing German forces. American actor Tom Sizemore played the gallant Mike Horvath, whose death is one of several that underline the personal sacrifices made during the quest to save Private Ryan. 

Tom Sizemore had earned a reputation as a character actor before his casting in Saving Private Ryan. He was always a great actor but struggled with drug addiction, even during Saving Private Ryan’s production. Spielberg reportedly gave him an ultimatum to stay clean every day on set or be fired and recast. Sizemore starred in several other top films, including Pearl Harbor (2001), Black Hawk Down (2001), and Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down the White House. Sadly, after being hospitalized for over a week from a brain aneurysm, Tom Sizemore died on March 3, 2023. Doctors had recommended end-of-life decisions to his family.

Edward Burns as Richard Reiben

Edward Burns in Saving Private Ryan cast

Edward Burns joined the Saving Private Ryan cast, portraying Richard Reiben. He was the cynical, rebellious, and outspoken member of Captain Miller’s squad. Reiben questioned the mission’s purpose of risking many lives to save a man and threatening to desert. Despite his initial doubts and occasional clashes with Captain Miller and others, Reiben proved his loyalty and bravery. He’s one of the soldiers who survived the mission. Edward Burns is an actor and filmmaker, with Saving Private Ryan being one of his earliest roles. Since then, Burns has continued to work on and off-screen. A few of his notable projects in film and television include The Holiday (2006), 27 Dresses (2008), Alex Cross (2012), Public Morals (2015), and Bridge and Tunnel (2021–2022). Edward Burns last appeared in Millers in Marriage, which he directed, in 2024. 

Jeremy Davies as Timothy Upham

Jeremy Davies in Saving Private Ryan

Timothy Upham is recruited into Captain Miller’s squad as a French and German interpreter. He’s the only person in the group with zero combat experience. Actor Jeremy Davies breathed life into the character, portraying Upham as intellectual and idealistic. Throughout the film, Upham struggles with the harsh realities of war, with his inexperience and fear leading to several moments of hesitation and conflict within the squad. 

His most notable failure occurs during the climactic battle, when he freezes on the stairs while a comrade, Mellish, is killed in close combat. However, in the film’s closing moments, Upham confronts and executes Steamboat Willie (Joerg Stadler), marking a significant shift in his character. Jeremy Davies continued with his acting career, with notable roles such as Lost (as Daniel Faraday), Justified (Dickie Bennett), and Dark Harvest (as Dan Shepard).

Vin Diesel as Adrian Caparzo

Vin Diesel in Saving Private Ryan

Vin Diesel joined the Saving Private Ryan cast as Private First Class Adrian Caparzo. He was also a member of Captain Miller’s squad. Although a compassionate and somewhat brash character, Caparzo was the first to be killed in the squad. However, his death occurred while attempting to help a young French girl trapped in a war-torn village. Despite having a shorter screen runtime, Vin Diesel became one of the most successful cast members. He’s fondly known for portraying Dominic Toretto in the billion-dollar Fast & Furious franchise. Vin Diesel has also starred in a few other notable franchises, including XXX, The Chronicles of Riddick, and MCU’s Guardians of the Galaxy and other films in the franchise.

Adam Goldberg as Stanley “Fish” Mellish

Adam Goldberg in Saving Private Ryan

Adam Goldberg portrayed Stanley “Fish” Mellish in Saving Private Ryan. Also a part of Captain Miller’s squad, Mellish served as a rifleman. He was known for his quick wit and humor, often trying to lighten the mood among the soldiers with jokes and banter. Mellish met a tragic end as he was stabbed to death during a hand-to-hand combat with a German soldier. Saving Private Ryan wasn’t Adam Goldberg’s first notable role, having played Mike Newhouse in Richard Linklater’s 1993 Dazed and Confused movie. After Saving Private Ryan, Goldberg has raked in several credits in top films and TV shows. A few of these include Déjà Vu (2006), Zodiac (2007), The Jim Gaffigan Show (2015–2016), Once Upon a Time in Venice (2017), God Friended Me (2019), The Exorcism (2024), and The Equalizer.

Barry Pepper as Daniel Jackson

Barry Pepper in Saving Private Ryan cast

Daniel Jackson was Captain Miller’s squad’s sniper in Saving Private Ryan. He was known for his extraordinary marksmanship skills and deep faith, which he expressed by quoting Bible verses before taking his shots. Daniel Jackson is also killed in the Ramelle battle. Canadian actor Barry Pepper portrayed Daniel Jackson and had a full and successful acting career. Since joining the Saving Private Ryan cast, Barry Pepper has starred in 25th Hour (2002), Seven Pounds (2008), True Grit (2010), Snitch (2013), and The Lone Ranger (2013). He also played Vince in the Maze Runner sequels. He recently played Esau Pierce on television in the Paramount+ Western miniseries Lawmen: Bass Reeves (2023).

Giovanni Ribisi as Irwin Wade

Giovanni Ribisi in Saving Private Ryan

Giovanni Ribisi joined the Saving Private Ryan cast as the medic in Captain Miller’s squad, Irwin Wade. As a medic, Wade was deeply compassionate and dedicated his life to saving others. After Captain Miller opts to neutralize a German machine gun nest, Wade is fatally wounded and later succumbs to his injuries. Although majorly known as a character actor, Giovanni Ribisi has had a successful acting career thus far. His notable credits include Gone in 60 Seconds (2000), Lost in Translation (2003), Perfect Stranger (2007), and Avatar films. Others include Ted films, Selma (2014), and Horizon: An American Saga films. 

Matt Damon as James Francis Ryan

Matt Damon in Saving Private Ryan

For the role of James Francis Ryan, Steven Spielberg looked to cast a relatively unknown actor. Although Matt Damon had raked up a few credits before being cast, he was not yet a household name. Interestingly, Damon received two Oscar nominations and a win for Best Original Screenplay for Good Will Hunting, a movie released a year before Saving Private Ryan. In Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan, Matt Damon portrays the title character, Private Francis Ryan. 

Fast-forward two decades later, Matt Damon received three other Oscar nominations and is one of Hollywood’s leading actors. Although he hasn’t done many acting roles in television, Damon has raked in over 70 film credits since Saving Private Ryan. He’s famous for starring in the Bourne franchise and Ocean’s franchise. Between them, he has starred in notable films, including The Informant! (2009), Invictus (2009), The Martian (2015), Ford v Ferrari (2019), Air (2023), and Oppenheimer (2023).

Other Notable Supporting Cast Members

Also joining the Saving Private Ryan cast were several relatively unknown actors at the time who became household names. A more familiar face at the time was that of Ted Danson, who was well-known for playing Sam Malone on NBC’s sitcom Cheers (1982–1993). In Saving Private Ryan, Danson was cast as Fred Hamill, a Captain in the 101st Airborne Division’s Pathfinders. 

Bryan Cranston also played a minor role as an officer in the War Department named Mac. Nathan Fillion played the young soldier who was mistaken for the real James Francis Ryan. Also starring in a minor role was Paul Giamatti, who appears after Captain Miller and his squad reach Neuville. Each of these four actors had successful careers in film and television. If you remember these Saving Private Ryan cast members, check out what happened to the cast of AMC’s Breaking Bad TV series.

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