Hey, Prime Members! You can listen to Men in Blazers Add 3 on Amazon Music Download the app today.

You're listening to the Men in Blazers Media Network Suboptimal Radio.

Welcome to Men in Blazers Pod Special, a special pod special on this 4th of July, the most

American of Days, 24 hours after following Balagans birthday, today on which I always every year sit down and watch at least one episode of one of the single greatest television series ever created.

And I know I'm not alone, so many of you do the same. Revealing in that groundbreaking genre changing, second world war, HBO mini series created by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks in the wake of saving private Ryan.

And for those who aren't familiar to story of sacrifice by a group of soldiers who fought their way through continental Europe straight up to hit the Zegels nest when the world stared into the abyss of human beings like Easy Company who pulled it back from the precipice.

And two years ago the GFO piece of HBO sought us out to create a special 20th anniversary companion podcast during which we were able to spend time with the producers, writers, directors and actors who themselves dedicated their being to honoring the memory of Easy Company.

And today we wanted to revisit one of our favorite episodes of that podcast series with none other than Damien Lewis, a gent who's transformative and singular performance is at the series court.

And before we get into it, you should know that you can listen to our entire band the brothers podcast series wherever you get your podcasts, it's on its own pod feed, just search HBO, band the brothers podcast, and it will turn up.

And whether it's your first time viewing it or the 101st time you're viewing it, just save it every single second you can get it on max right now watch band the brothers entire series available.

But for now, here's our pod with the mighty Damien Lewis.

My guest today is probably the only old detonion in that school's vaunted 581 year history ever to have played a boner five day all American war hero major Richard Dick Winters, the commanding officer of Easy Company, a man who dropped behind enemy lines on D day, armed only with a knife.

And then employing a leadership style defined by the two words survived operation market garden and the battle of the bulge before ending the war with the capture of Hitler's eagles nest that booked his garden Germany.

My guest is the central fugal force of the entire band the brother series playing winters in an astonishing performance in which so much was conveyed with tremendous economy in terms of both word and emotion.

It's an incredible joy to welcome Mr. Damien Lewis.

Hello, Roger, what an introduction. Thank you.

If ever a man deserves one, it's you, Damien. First big question hearted at first at the top of the episode. We meet you in your swimmies when Nixon has trapped you down.

Yeah, I heard reports about a red-headed Eskimo thought I'd check it out. Come and join me for a morning swim.

Yeah, you then dive headfirst into an Austrian lake. How bloody cold was that water because you dive, Damien. It was a 10.0.

Yes, I'm glad I didn't have my budget smugglers on, although not far off that 1940s high cut short, shall we say.

It was very, very cold. Roger is the answer to that. In fact, I got hypothermic. We swam all day. And I was only allowed in the water for a minute at a time.

And I was rubbed in goose fat. I was covered in goose lard in order to retain some heat. But of course, you're never anywhere just for a minute when you film me.

...