Saving Private Ryan is one of the most impressive war movies, with an outstanding ensemble cast to prove it. Tom Sizemore plays Hanks' right-hand man, Mike Horvath, and co-leader of the group of soldiers searching for Ryan. Barry Pepper memorably plays Private Daniel Jackson, a cold-blooded sniper. Adam Goldberg of Dazed and Confused fame and Edward Burns, known for Entourage, play privates. Finally, Giovanni Ribisi of Avatar plays medic Irwin Wade. This set of characters provides the core for Captain Miller until they find Private James Francis Ryan (Matt Damon).

Steven Spielberg's epic World War II film Saving Private Ryan celebrates its 25th anniversary later this year in July 2023. It remains a timeless tale of heroism and the horrors of war. To many, Saving Private Ryan is the best war movie ever made. Tom Hanks leads as the charismatic Captain John H. Miller, who leads a group of soldiers after the infamous Normandy Landings to find Private Ryan and send him home to the United States. Private Ryan's three brothers tragically all died on D-Day. The sympathetic United States General Marshall orders her fourth and last living son to return to his mother immediately, tasking Captain Miller to deliver the message.

10 Bryan Cranston As War Department Colonel Mac

Bryan Cranston briefly appears as a War Department Colonel named Mac. His character features a military buzz cut and has presumably lost his left arm in combat. In Saving Private Ryan, Cranston's character is informed of the deaths of Private Ryan's three brothers after a professional typist notices the same address on three letters. Cranston realizes the tragedy of the circumstance in which the soldiers' mother would receive all three telegrams on the same day. Cranston suspects that Private James Ryan could still be alive and notifies his superior immediately. He stands at attention in a later scene listening to General Marshall recite The Bixby Letter by Abraham Lincoln.

9 Vin Diesel As Private Adrian Caparzo

Vin Diesel plays a private that is part of Captain Miller's company. He is one of the company's original sent to look for Private Ryan and the first of the group to get killed after surviving D-Day. Caparzo fights in Miller's company's battle against German troops on French soil during the movie's first half. Diesel's character tries to help a young French girl and her his Christian cross, but his act of humility disobeys Captain Miller's orders. Instead, he wants to bring the girl, who reminds him of his niece, to the next town over, thinking it will be safer for her. Unfortunately, his disobedience costs him his life, as he gets shot in the back by a German sniper and helplessly bleeds to death.

8 Ted Danson As Captain Fred Hamill

Ted Danson plays Captain Fred Hamill, who helps Captain Miller locate Private James Ryan. Unfortunately, Private Ryan ends up being the wrong one and momentarily believes his brothers are dead, having an emotional breakdown. Danson's character consoles the false Private Ryan as he cries tears of joy, realizing his brothers are still alive. Captain Hamill encourages Captain Miller to continue looking for the right Private Ryan. He says that he understands the mission's significance since he also has brothers at home. In Saving Private Ryan, Danson's character is introduced by saving Sergeant Hill's and Miller's companies by killing the German troops in an unexpected close-combat standoff.

7 Paul Giamatti As Sergeant William Hill

Paul Giamatti plays Sergeant William Hill in Saving Private Ryan. He and his company fight alongside Captain Miller's group moments before Vin Deisel's character gets shot and killed. He's the first person on Miller's journey he asks about Private Ryan, but Sergeant Hill has no idea where he could be. He tells Miller that the Germans forced his soldiers to separate into two groups, which is where Ryan might have ended up. Miller's and Hill's soldiers are able to push past the German reinforcements together, except for Diesel's Private Caparzo. Just when they think the coast is clear, Sergeant Hill sits on debris which breaks a wall and reveals a group of German soldiers on the other side, causing an intense standoff.

6 Ryan Hurst As Paratrooper Michaelson

Ryan Hurst, most famous for his roles in The Titans and Sons of Anarchy, plays Paratrooper Michaelson in Saving Private Ryan. The actor portrays a soldier who lost his hearing due to a German grenade blasting right next to his head during battle. Michaelson yells when he speaks as a result. Captain Miller is told that Michaelson knows Private Ryan and asks to talk to him. Michaelson confirms that he knows a James Francis Ryan from Iowa. He explains that they were trekking together to a rally point when they encountered a Colonel who was rallying up troops for a separate mission and then got separated.

5 Andrew Scott As Soldier On The Beach

Andrew Scott is credited as a Solider On The Beach during the tragic Battle of Normandy. Scott plays one of the American soldiers who landed on the beach of Normandy on that infamous day. Scott did not have a prominent role in Saving Private Ryan but impressed Spielberg and Hanks enough to get a better part in Band of Brothers. Scott has had an incredibly successful acting career appearing in prestigious television series such as Black Mirror, Fleabag, and Sherlock. Scott also played a soldier in Sam Mendes' 1917.

4 Nathan Fillion As Private James Frederick Ryan

Nathan Fillion plays the incorrect Private James Ryan in Saving Private Ryan. Captain Miller incorrectly tells him that his brothers are dead and that Private Ryan is ordered to go home to his mother. Fillion delivers a brief but emotional performance that demonstrates his impressive range. Captain Fred Hamill (Ted Danson) is right by his side to help him reconcile with the shocking trauma and subsequent relief. After Saving Private Ryan, Fillion went on to star in two popular television series, Castle and Firefly.

3 Harve Presnell As General George Marshall

Harve Presnell plays General George Marshall, the United States Army Chief of Staff who orders the mission to find Private Ryan. Presnell delivers an impressive rendition of Lincoln's Bixby Letter that stresses the significance of bringing Private Ryan home. The famous letter was written by President Lincoln to a Bostonian widow named Lydia Bixby, who was thought to have lost her five sons in the Civil War. Marshall's character wants to avoid writing his own Bixby letter and orders the mission to find the last Ryan. Presnell was also in the original Coen Brothers film Fargo and other famous films such as Face/Off and Flags of Our Fathers. He died in 2009 at age 75.

2 Dennis Farina As Lieutenant Colonel Walter Anderson

Dennis Farina plays Lieutenant Colonel Walter Anderson in Saving Private Ryan. He appears briefly in an early scene of the film delivering news to Captain Miller of his new mission to locate Private James Francis Ryan. Farina's character tells Captain Miller that these orders came straight for the top, emphasizing the significance of Miller's new responsibility. Farina is most famous for his roles in movies such as Get Shorty and Snatch. Unfortunately, he died in July 2013 at age 69.

1 Dale Dye As War Department Colonel

Dale Dye plays a War Department Colonel who works under General Marshall alongside Bryan Cranston's character. He presents the seemingly insurmountable odds of finding Private Ryan since they don't even have confirmation that he is still alive. He reasonably expresses the somewhat cynical but truthful logic for why General Marshall should forget about looking for Private Ryan. Dye attended Missouri Military Academy and served in the Marines during the Vietnam War, earning three Purple Heart medals. He has appeared in other major movies such as Mission: Impossible and Platoon as Captain Harris.