The Saving Private Ryan cast includes several famous actors, though many of them were relatively unknown when Steven Spielberg's film released in 1998. The main cast includes a true A-lister in Tom Hanks, while the title character is portrayed by Matt Damon, who became a household name after writing and starring in Good Will Hunting. Saving Private Ryan is widely regarded as the best war film ever made, and modern audiences may be surprised to see future stars in smaller roles.
Set in June 1944, Saving Private Ryan follows a U.S. Army commander who survives D-Day and then must locate a soldier from the 101st Airborne Division. The storyline references "Easy Company," a battalion that's the primary focus of Hanks and Spielberg's 2001 HBO miniseries Band of Brothers. With Saving Private Ryan, the filmmakers explore five days in the lives of soldiers who ultimately fought together in the Battle of Ramelle.
Saving Private Ryan is headlined by Hanks, Damon, and several other recognizable actors, but the ensemble cast includes nearly 20 proper movie stars. Some were already established by the late '90s, while others like Vin Diesel and Nathan Fillion were mostly unknown in pop culture back then. Here's a comprehensive cast and character guide to help you identify each and every movie star in Saving Private Ryan.
Tom Hanks As John H. Miller
Tom Hanks stars as John H. Miller, a U.S. Captain from the 2nd Rangers unit who survives D-Day and then receives a mission to locate Private Ryan. He initially reveals little about his background, and later reflects with Horvath about their fallen comrades. When Wade is injured, he allows a lethal dose of morphine and then reveals his backstory to end an argument between Horvath and Reiben. He's ultimately killed at the Battle of Ramelle. In the '80s, Hanks starred in the TV series Bosom Buddies and later delivered a breakthrough performance in Big. During the '90s, he earned Oscar nominations for portraying Andrew Beckett in Philadelphia and also won a Best Actor Academy Award for his titular role in Forrest Gump. Hanks voices Woody in the Toy Story franchise and starred as Fred Rogers in A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood.
Tom Sizemore As Mike Horvath
Tom Sizemore co-stars as Mike Horvath, a technical sergeant who leads troops with Miller on D-Day. After clearing Dog One, he bottles sand as yet another memento of his war experiences. At Ramelle, he convinces Miller that they'll earn the right to go home if they can defend a bridge and save Private Ryan in the process, but he's eventually killed in battle. In the '90s, Sizemore portrayed Jack Scagnetti in Natural Born Killers and starred alongside Al Pacino as Michael Cheritto in Heat. He then appeared as Earl in Pearl Harbor and McKnight in Black Hawk Down during the early 2000s. Since then, Sizemore has portrayed Vincent Fryer in Hawaii Five-0 and Anthony Sinclair in Twin Peaks. He also appears as Dr. Tom in Pink Rehabilation.
Edward Burns As Richard Reiben
Edward Burns portrays Richard Reiben, a Private First Class soldier who assists Miller and Horvath on D-Day. Near Ramelle, he gets angry when Miller allows Wade's killer to walk away. Reiben later confronts Private Ryan about what they've gone through to ensure that he gets to return home safely. Burns appeared as himself in Entourage and portrayed Bugsy Siegel in Mob City. He also appears as Artie Farrell in Bridge and Tunnel.
Barry Pepper As Daniel Jackson
Barry Pepper appears as Private Daniel Jackson, a sniper who recites prayers before targeting German soldiers. When Miller's squad learns that Private Ryan is likely at Ramelle, he's the first to volunteer for a risky operation. Jackson ultimately gets killed during the Battle of Ramelle after being targeted by a tank. Pepper portrayed Dean Stanton in The Green Mile and starred Roger Maris in 61*. He also appeared as Mike Strank in Flags of Our Fathers, Bobby Kennedy in The Kennedys, and Dave in the 2019 movie Crawl.
Adam Goldberg As Stanley "Fish" Mellish
Adam Goldberg co-stars as Stanley "Fish" Mellish, a Jewish Private who receives a Hitler Youth knife from Caparzo on D-Day and sobs while Horvath watches. At Ramelle, he urges Upham to be "Johnny on the spot" while handling ammunition during an battle against German soldiers. Mellish is eventually killed in hand-to-hand combat when Upham freezes and fails to act. Goldberg portrayed Mike in Dazed and Confused and Sol in A Beautiful Mind. He later appeared as Nick Rubenstein in Entourage, Mr. Numbers in Fargo season 1, and Harry Keshegian in The Equalizer.
Vin Diesel As Adrian Caparzo
Groot in the MCU and starred as the title character in Bloodshot.
Giovanni Ribisi As Irwin Wade
Giovanni Ribisi memorably portrays Irwin Wade, a medic who survives D-Day and helps Miller find Private Ryan. During a quiet moment, he reflects about pretending to be asleep when his mother would come home, and later confronts his comrades when they sort through dog tags like "poker chips." Shortly after, Wade is killed near Ramelle. Ribisi appeared in Friends as Frank Buffay Jr. and starred as Seth Davis in Boiler Room. He's perhaps best known for portraying Parker Selfridge in the Avatar movie franchise and also headlined Sneaky Pete as Marius Josipovi/Pete Murphy.
Jeremy Davies As Timothy Upham
Jeremy Davies appears as the pacifist Timothy Upham, a U.S. Corporal who Miller recruits because of his ability to speak French and German. He's nervous about participating because he doesn't have any combat experience. He carries a book about the "bonds of brotherhood" that form during war, which foreshadows the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers. At Ramelle, Upham impresses his comrades by translating lyrics from an Edith Piaf song, but later fails to take action against German soldiers during the battle. Davies portrayed Laurene in Twister and Daniel Faraday in Lost. He later appeared as Dickie Bennett in Justified, Malcolm Dreyfuss in Sleepy Hollow, and Al in The House That Jack Built.
Matt Damon As James Francis Ryan
Matt Damon co-stars as James Francis Ryan, a U.S. Private First Class soldier whose three brothers are killed in action. He's eventually located near Ramelle and refuses to abandon his comrades. Ryan assists Miller with a sticky bomb plan to defeat German soldiers while keeping his distance to ensure his safety. In the '90s, Damon starred as Rudy Baylor in The Rainmaker and Will in Good Will Hunting. He later headlined the Jason Bourne movie franchise as the title character and portrayed Carroll Shelby in Ford v Ferrari.
Ted Danson As Fred Hamill
Ted Danson briefly appears as Fred Hamill, a captain for the 101st Pathfinders unit. Danson famously starred as Sam Malone in the TV show Cheers and headlined Three Men and a Baby as Jack. He also starred as Dr. John Becker in Becker and portrayed Arthur Frobisher in Damages. In the 2010s, Danson appeared as Hank Larsson in Fargo season 2 and Michael in The Good Place.
