Saving Private Ryan almost had completely different lead - but work commitments changed everything
The iconic war movie that bagged five Oscars could have looked very different and featured a different cast, yet work commitments stopped some stars from taking on the now famous roles
The iconic film Saving Private Ryan has become a cinema masterpiece, and arguably one of the 'must-watch' war movies.
The movie, which has been named as one of the best war films of all time, bagged five Oscars with a star nomination for Best Actor for Tom Hanks as Captain Miller and notable mentions for Matt Damon as Private Ryan.
However, it could have been very different, and could actually have featured a different lineup, with a different actor considered for the role.
Actor Noah Wyle could actually have ended up playing Private Ryan, as he revealed in an interview clip that has resurfaced online.
Yet he was unable to take on the film role due to prior filming commitments with his character in ER on TV.
READ MORE: Saving Private Ryan dethroned as 'greatest war film ever' by hit Netflix movieREAD MORE: Netflix fans have days to watch 'one of the best movies ever' based on real-life American tragedyIn the clip he explains: "I was offered the part of Private Ryan, and Saving Private Ryan, and couldn't get out of ER to do it. There was a bunch...in retrospect, I'm almost glad that I didn't do them because those guys made the parts."
He added: "Matt Damon was Private Ryan. There was two, I got offered the part of Upham, which was Jeremy Davies' part, and he was so phenomenal in that, I couldn't imagine doing anything close to what he did."
And it turns out that fans would have been on board with the change in lead actor, as one person on Reddit wrote: "Look, I'm trying SO HARD to not objectify this man. He's so ridiculously, incredibly talented and is GREAT at what he does...But LORD help me."
Another shared their view, as they added: "There is something about the way he speaks. It’s the voice I would want to hear when I’m having a panic attack. So calm and relaxing, yet full of empathy and love."
Despite all of its accolades and praise, the 1998 film has been 'dethroned' as the best war film thanks to another addition to Netflix. The Six Triple Eight tells the extraordinary true tale of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, a unit primarily composed of African American women.
Their daunting mission was to clear a three-year backlog of mail, as military officials feared that morale on the U.S. front lines was dwindling due to soldiers not receiving letters from home.
The movie's plot summary states, "An army captain leads her historic battalion of all-female soldiers as they face a mission unlike any other: to restore hope to WWII's frontlines by delivering over 17 million backlogged letters. Witness their courage and determination in The Six Triple Eight."
Click here to follow the Mirror US on Google News to stay up to date with all the latest news, sport and entertainment stories.