Tom Hanks Stops 'Band of Brothers' Cast Mutiny During Boot Camp, Says Neal McDonough

Neal McDonough, who acted in "Band of Brothers," said Tom Hanks showed up at the actors' boot camp and reminded them they owed respect to the real Easy Company soldiers.

McDonough told how Tom Hanks put the cast in line during the tough boot camp they did before filming the series.

McDonough, now 60, acted in the 2001 HBO war miniseries that Hanks, 70, and Steven Spielberg, 79, helped produce.

The show follows the true story of Easy Company, a unit of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment in the 101st Airborne Division, fighting across Europe in World War II.

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In a Fox News Digital interview, McDonough said the actors rebelled during the hard boot camp until Hanks arrived by helicopter and gave a strong message they never forgot.

"About five days into boot camp, there was a mutiny," McDonough said on the red carpet at Televerse 26 in Los Angeles.

McDonough recalled Tom Hanks stopping a "mutiny" on the WWII drama set. (Kate Green/Getty Images for The Walt Disney Company Limited; HBO via Getty Images)

He added, "All of a sudden my teeth were knocked out by a .30 cal, I broke my toe, and many others were being tortured," he said.

"The American guys loved it," he laughed. "But there was a mutiny. They said, ‘This isn’t what we signed up for.’"

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McDonough remembered the helicopter landing at their base and Tom Hanks walking out with his beard and the long hair from his role in "Cast Away."

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Hanks told them, “We owe it to everyone in Easy Company and all of World War II to work our hardest because they gave their lives for our freedoms. The least we can do is tell the truth and honor those men and women.”

McDonough said Hanks’s words changed the whole cast’s view of the real heroes they were playing.

"After that, we were all brain‑washed," he said, then added, "I'm not sure brain‑washed is the right word."

He said Hanks’s powerful speech completely changed how the cast felt during the intense boot camp. (Getty Images)

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"We all realized Tom was right," McDonough continued. "They lived, breathed, and died for the freedom we have today. None of us forgot that, and when the show aired we knew Tom was right all along."

"He knew it would be a huge hit. Stephen knew it would be a big hit. We were just actors doing our jobs. When it finally aired and became a hit, 25 years later, I still can’t believe how lucky we were to be in the show."

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McDonough played 1st Lt. Lynn “Buck” Compton, a real Easy Company platoon leader who fought in D‑Day, Operation Market Garden, and was wounded in the Netherlands.

"Band of Brothers" tells the true story of Easy Company’s war heroes. (Getty Images)

The series also featured Damian Lewis, Ron Livingston, Donnie Wahlberg, David Schwimmer, Michael Cudlitz and Scott Grimes, with future stars Tom Hardy, Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy in smaller parts.

The ten‑part miniseries is based on historian Stephen E. Ambrose’s 1992 book and was created by Hanks and Spielberg, who previously worked together on the acclaimed 1998 film "Saving Private Ryan." Writer Erik Jendresen also helped adapt the series.

Hanks also directed episode five, "Crossroads," and made a brief, uncredited cameo.

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"Band of Brothers," which first aired in September 2001, earned critical praise and won many awards, including seven Emmys and a Golden Globe.

Critics praised the series for its gritty realism and historical detail. The actors’ boot camp was meant to help them move, act and bond like real soldiers.

WATCH: Neal McDonough went to hospital after his ‘Band of Brothers’ character was injured in brutal boot camp

While talking to Fox News Digital, McDonough said the harsh boot camp was led by Dale Dye, a retired Marine captain, Vietnam veteran, actor and longtime Hollywood military advisor.

He said the boot camp was harder for some actors than for others.

"I’m a knuckle‑head. I love that kind of thing. Those two weeks felt like three months for many guys," he said. "It was tough."

McDonough told Fox News Digital that Dye purposely acted as the “common enemy” for the actors during production.

"We all hated him because he pushed us to the edge," McDonough recalled of Dye. "Only after about a quarter of the way through filming did we see he was acting so we could all bond as a unit."

"There are a few men I love like I love Dale Dye because he let himself be that guy. Without him, ‘Band of Brothers’ would not be ‘Band of Brothers.’"

"Band of Brothers" military advisor and actor Dale Dye is shown at the show’s 2001 premiere. (WireImage)

Besides being the senior military advisor, Dye also played Col. Robert F. Sink, the real commander of the 506th, in the series. He is a top Hollywood military advisor and has worked on movies like "Platoon" and "Saving Private Ryan," and TV shows such as "The Pacific" and "Masters of the Air."

Even though the cast later appreciated Dye’s dedication, the demanding boot camp took a toll. Dye even thought about stopping the training after several actors were hurt. McDonough remembered being hit in the mouth with a ".30 cal" shortly after.

"I heard him say, ‘If one more guy gets hurt, I might shut this down.’ That afternoon I got hit," McDonough said. "We were moving into a house. A guy fired a .30 cal, it hit my teeth and blood ran down my face."

McDonough recalled his co‑star Shane Taylor, who played medic Eugene “Doc” Roe, was shocked when he asked for medical help after the injury.

"I said, ‘Doc, get over here, stitch me up,’" McDonough said.

He remembered the serious mouth injury he suffered during boot camp. (Getty Images)

Taylor replied, "I’m not a doctor, I’m an actor," and McDonough answered, "I don’t care, just stitch me up."

"He stitched me in front of everyone, and two or three days later it got infected. Dale said, ‘You need to go to the hospital.’ I was still excited because of what Tom said," McDonough said.

He said he went to the hospital and gave his character’s name instead of his own.

"I knew it was socialized medicine, but I needed ‘Lynn Compton’ on the report, not ‘Neal McDonough,’" he said.

McDonough told Fox News Digital that the doctor was shocked by his infected mouth.

"The doctor said, ‘Oh gosh, that’s terrible,’" he recalled. "They shaved it, cleaned it, and stitched it up."

WATCH: ‘Band of Brothers’ stars ‘hated’ boot‑camp leader before learning it was an act, Neal McDonough says

The "Yellowstone" alum said he visited Dye later. Dye became emotional when he saw McDonough’s hospital paperwork, realizing how deeply the actor had committed to playing Compton.

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"I get back to the barracks at 4 a.m., knock on his door, he’s waiting. I hand the paper over, he looks at it, and tears fill Dale’s eyes," McDonough said.

"I knew I did the right thing for Easy Company and the movie, and after that we became close," he added. "That was probably the hardest moment of boot camp for me."

"Band of Brothers" was executive produced by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg. (FilmMagic, Inc)

McDonough met the real Lynn Compton before filming and they stayed friends until Compton’s death in 2012. He called Compton a “second father” and named his son Morgan “Little Buck” in his honor. He also attended Compton’s 90th birthday and gave a eulogy at his funeral.

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While speaking with Fox News Digital, McDonough said "Band of Brothers" also holds a special place in his heart because he met his future wife Ruvé Robertson while filming in the United Kingdom.

McDonough met his wife Ruvé Robertson while filming the series in the United Kingdom. (Paul Archuleta/Getty Images)

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McDonough and South African model Ruvé married in 2003 and have five children: Morgan, Catherine, London, Clover and James.

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"The best thing about ‘Band of Brothers’ besides playing Buck Compton and working for Spielberg and Hanks, was meeting the love of my life, Ruvé, on my first night in town on St. Patrick’s Day 2000," he said. "Five kids later, 26 seasons later, I love her more today than yesterday and will love her more tomorrow than today."

Ashley Hume is an entertainment journalist for Fox News Digital and Fox Business who covers breaking news, celebrity culture, major industry events and the business of entertainment.

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