The actor and comedian Connor Ratliff created the Dead Eyes podcast back in January 2020 to figure out why he was fired by Tom Hanks from a small role in Band of Brothers because he allegedly had “dead eyes.” Now, Ratliff finally has the man himself in a delightful and painful full-circle podcast interview.
Ratliff is now known for roles in TV series like Search Party, as well as an improv comedian at the New York Upright Citizen’s Brigade. When he was up for Band Of Brothers in 2001, however, he was only 24 and just getting started, hopeful that this small role would launch his career to new heights. Ratliff booked the part and was ecstatic to hear that Hanks himself would be directing the episode.
However, Ratliff recounted in the show’s pilot episode Hanks apparently got “second thoughts” after viewing his audition tape again the day before filming. Ratliff was rushed to meet the actor in person, and after doing the scene one last time he was fired from the role.
In the two years and three seasons since the podcast started, Ratliff has interviewed other actors that were rejected from the miniseries like Seth Rogen, along with friends of his that remember him recounting the story such as D’arcy Carden. The podcast became a great forum to talk about rejection, with writers & directors such as Judd Apatow and Rian Johnson even joining to share their thoughts on the story and their own experiences.
Hanks himself finally heard about the podcast after his son, Colin Hanks, did an episode that was released in January of this year. When Connor finally got to sit down with the center of his personal mystery, Hanks was extremely apologetic but admitted that “not a single moment of this rings a bell.” Even though he didn’t recall anything, Hanks still took full responsibility and said, “This was without a doubt the act of the director, and that was me.”
He said he probably made the dead eyes comment and cracked that “It’s been said about everybody. I mean it’s been said about me. He said his note was said in the “inner sanctum of whatever this casting session was,” and the comment could have been any small artistic adjustment that needed to be made like “Too blond of hair; he’s too tall and I can’t have the aide be taller than Captain Winters.”
Hanks was angered that Ratliff’s agent passed along the personal comment in the first place. “Whoever communicated to you what was said, in the inner sanctum with such authenticity, should have their kneecaps broken … It’s not quotable there. It’s off the record,” he said.
Hanks and Ratliff had a great conversation for over an hour, and it was capped off sweetly when Ratliff presented him with an old headshot and Hanks said with certainty, “These are not dead eyes.” Ratliff also slipped in a request for Hanks to let him audition on the next project he’s directing, to which Hanks said “we’ll keep that promise.”
You can listen to Dead Eyes here, and watch Ratliff’s Late Night With Seth Meyers interview about the podcast below.
