McCall's portrayal of Leibgott showed a guy who had a bit of humor but a very deep serious side as well. We all admire the work he did in the concentration camp scenes, but also small things like when he told Webster he loves to read -- Flash Gordon mostly, was incredible and also portrayed the class divides of the war. Leibgott was a blue collar taxi driver from San Francisco, Webster was a private school educated New England WASP from Connecticut. Both men forced into the same horrific conditions by fate of history. In the end, they were brothers with a traumatic bond nobody back home would understand.
Really loved Ross' portrayal of Leibgott, his acting during the concentration camp scene was phenemenal and really captured the horror of not only seeing the camp for the first time, but then having to tell the recently liberated prisoners that they had to stay inside the camp.
Indeed, yeah. If I remember correctly, eventually he puts his hands on the camp fence and looks completely defeated. McCall really does great work throughout the entire series. Still one or my favorite performances.
@mcnultyssobercompanion6372 totally agree, I also love the conversation he has with Webster towards the end of the series about reading. Shows a little of the disparity in the backgrounds of the men
There have been lots of really good TV series over the years, and BoB is way up there for me. There has also been a lot of mediocre tv series. And a mega shit ton of crappy ones.
Once Masters of the Air has been released, will have to do a full binge watching session: BoB, The Pacific, MotA - as good as getting a degree in history 😂
My dad didn’t discuss his war time experience at all. I think we found out more after he died. Along with my in laws family one grandfather was a Normandy veteran the other out in Egypt with Monty. None of them spoke a word. In fact we only found out one grandfather was a Normandy veteran at his funeral. The British Legion made arrangements for a guard of honour for him. We also found his letters home from those days to his wife. So loving full of joy at the birth of his son. My dad went out with the Americans on D day not sure why lol he also sent home parcels not to opened till him came home. I could not have managed that. But mum did waiting for the day he came home not doubting he would. They all were wonderful men what we call mens men strong and protective of their families. Keeping the horrors they had been through to themselves. I love Band of Brothers it would be nice to see something similar covering the British. What they did and coped with before the Americans entered the war.
The Band of Brothers scene with Mr. McCall that I found most moving was when Liebgott sat down in the bed of a truck after he delivered the announcement that the inmates of the camp were restricted to the camp. He did an incredible job of showing how that hurt him, no words, just showing.
You are spot on, his emotions were real. Of course the fact not revealed correctly was that Liebgott whilst of German origin was not Jewish - he was Catholic.
I love how humble all the actors are. Every actor I’ve seen interviewed has had so much humility about their roles in BOB and you can see the respect they have for the men they portrayed.
Thank you for mentioning MOTA, I haven't actually heard of this before but saw the trailer just now and it looks amazing. I'll definitely give that a watch soon.
@@CPTCosmos I'm not sure if there is a proper trailer for it yet, but it's supposed to be out by the end of the year. Hopefully it's good, I've been waiting years haha
@@jollysmalls I've just noticed that, I think it was a mish mash of clips from other shows but the premise definitely looks interesting. Will be keeping my eyes open for it.
Loved Leibgott's moment at the end of the series translating the German commander and it really makes the point for a window into the enemy minds set whereby they're no different. So glad they left that way instead of subtitles, his voice made it hit home.
@@christiancherniss8063The Wehrmacht had its part in the holocaust as well. I suggest you read the book “Ordinary Men” to learn about the role that just regular Germans played in the Final Solution.
@chrisbolliger5717 I don't mean the subtitles. You can watch it in German and if you understand the language you'll know that what Liebgott is saying isn't what is actually said in the original English version.
Watching BoB for the 10th time or so since Netflix added it. Still blows my mind what those men did. 22 years later and the show is still one of the best ever made. Great interview!
Jared asked some great questions and Ross, well he answered them beautifully. The Band of Brothers fought in WWII and the men who portrayed them is a continuation of, not only the men of Easy Company, but of those who have fought in America’s wars. My Dad died just before Band Of Brothers aired. Albert C. Mixer Pfc, 28th Inf. Div., 110th Inf. Reg., A Company. Dad was one of the 50 survivors of the 110th in Bastogne & fought beside the t/Screaming Eagles in the defense of Bastogne. I asked Dad, just before his death from several TBI’s in The War, that “The Airborne (Screaming Eagles) are the best of the best”. Dementia from the TBI’s throughout his brain but His War, he still remembered. Thank you Jared for all you do.
BOB is the greatest tv series of all time, we all feel like we know those fine men. Thank you for your service and thank you to the acotors for doing their legacy proud.
We watch BoB and The Pacific every year, my Dad served in the Royal Navy in WW2 deployed to Russian Convoy Escorts in the Arctic Circle and my Mum and her family lived in London during the Blitz. My wife's Dad was a grunt in the US Army in WW2 and this is our annual tribute to their service and to all of those who served and died during that period of history
I met Ross and Jimmy Madio on a WWII tour in 2017. There are no better examples of perfect gentlemen on the planet. It was MY absolute privilege to be in their company for that time. Thank you both for all you do.
Liebgott's translation of the German officer's speech to his men, in Episode 10, was one of the most heartfelt moments in the whole series, realising that the guys on the other side were no different, just trying to survive and do their jobs.
As i get older i realize more and more how fast time goes by... Doesn't seem like that long ago when Band of Brothers first came out. That series changed my life.
Mr. McCall did such a great job in the role. His portrayal of Liebgott really stands out as he portrayed a Jewish cab driver who became a great soldier. It was quite a charismatic performance, especially the scene where he acted as translator in the Concentration Camp and the scene translating the words of the Ge4man general to his troops. Those scenes I will never forget.
@ the 15:54 mark, Ross does the exact same look away mannerism as his Liebgott portrayal in "Why We Fight" in the Deuce and Half when talking to Webster. The "alright Web, breath a little geeze... it's just the way you always talked you know, we all figured that... hey you know what, you're right, so the freak what" Harvard discussion moment.
Fun Fact: Ross McCall is one of two actors to have appeared in an HBO WWII series *and* to have portrayed Freddie Mercury. The other is Rami Malek in 'The Pacific.' McCall played Mercury in 'The Miracle' music video and Malek of course played him in the movie 'Bohemian Rhapsody.' Weird coincidence, but there you go.
Scottish with an English accent. Scotland is part of Britain. He's from a part of Scotland that was part of the British Kingdom of Strathclyde. Britons dominated the entire Island until the Roman's arrived. Later, Anglo-Saxons dominated England, and Gaels dominated Scotland.
Winters' followup autobiography had a bit more to say about Liebgott than the Band book and series. Still a very good guy overall, but in the context of war, he felt Liebgott had some of what was going on with Speirs, some of that darkness. Winters indirectly admits being a little afraid of him, and mentions taking the safety off his gun when giving him the order to deliver all prisoners alive.
That scene where he has to stand on the truck and tell all those poor sunzabitches that the Army's locking them back up is THE gut punch of the series for me. I mean, that whole episode makes me cry every time I watch it, like I have to prepare myself for E9 every rewatch, but "...I can't tell 'em that, sir" and then the way it just breaks Liebgott to have to deliver the message 😢
Ross is a top notch fella! Honest and good man! I appreciate how he and the others keep the memories of these great men alive and do so much to make sure their sacrifices are remembered!
This guy is why I came back to this channel. His critiques and content like this are treasures. I can't praise or thank you enough. BoB is staggering in scope, an event like none other. It still tears me apart, and I still watch it and see details I've never caught because of the emotional impact it had on me. Episode 9 blew my mind because I had talked about and studied the liberation of this and other camps for years. I still can't imagine being there. Thanks, guys.
“I was a part of him and he was a part of me” That hit hard. My grandpa served in the 506th during ww2, being a big fan of the series and the fact that he would never discuss the war, that was very touching.
I had the privilege of going to the Easy Company reunion Oct. 22. I got to hang out and speak with many of the children and grandchildren of the Easy Company soldiers. One of the actor's showed up too. Really great experience that I will always remember.
I find it hilarious that the older he gets the more like Jason Statham he sounds Another thing is that it really speaks to me that these actors have reunions themselves which just speaks to the legacy of how important that production was and how important the men they were preparing were to everybody involved.
Absolutely incredible Prof. Frederick. Hearing the stories, training experiences, emersions that these people went through to try and get the series right and do these men justice is beyond words. The fact that no member of Easy is still with us, and these men that portrayed them are having their own reunions now is so endearing. Easy Company will never die. Currahee ♠ P.S. It's so weird hearing him and Winters having accents!
The saying "greatest generation" sounds like a joke to me, knowing how many of them were racist asf back them, even more than today. They were normal human beings just like today folks, there were good guys and bad guys, but ppl, even the old ones who are supposed to have wisdow, always fall for the illusion, or naiveté that ppl back then were somehow better.
Thank you Ross and Jared. This was a real treat. Your portrayal of Joe Liebgott was outstanding in the way you reflected his growth over time. I have always considered your role as central to the BOB story. Malarky, Liebgott, and Lipton were the soul of Easy Co.
The first episode of BoB I saw in its original run was "Why We Fight" in a motel during a vacation (we didn't have HBO at home at the time). That's the one where they liberate the concentration camp, and Joe Leibgott is featured prominently because he speaks German and acts as interpreter for the prisoners. On the strength of that episode I bought the DVD box set as soon as it came out and watched the whole series in two nights.
This was absolutely fabulous. Really enjoyed this interview. Mr. McCall's performance was fantastic throughout, but positively stellar in 'Why We Fight'. Everything in the whole series was incredible, but that episode gets to the viewer like nothing else can. And Ross McCall was instrumental in that. Thank you so much for this interview.
Liebgott’s family were hard to find to get background information from. He was actually a divorced Dad, was a barber, not a cab driver and while a translator, as he was ethnically German, he was not a practicing Jew, as was told by his family in one of the subsequent books to the series. So Ross McCall due to having little access to the family, played more of an invented character based on a historical figure, as he states in this interview he only received a thin Manila envelope with info about Joseph Liebgott.
What an amazing unexpected surprise! This was excellent! Thank you Jared and team for making this happen! And of course a big thanks to Ross McCall for giving this terrific face to face interview! Zoom/facetime syle interviews are fine, but in person sit-down interviews simply cannot be matched! Thanks again everyone 🙌👍
When I was on Twitter/X, I followed Ross. GREAT content! Sincerely appreciate his portrayal of Liebgott, as well as his steadfast loyalty to "Band of Brothers."
These people are to be respected for their performance and more so for their reverence for the people they portrayed. Jared, thanks for showing us the the better side of their profession.
I would like to see a Band of Brothers reunion movie. It could include flashbacks and bring in new storylines of other men the series didn’t focus on. I think Band of Brothers, The Pacific and Saving Private Ryan are priceless moments of filmmaking. I just wish they could do a series focusing on the surface fleet battles around Guadalcanal, Surigao Strait and Samar.
@@ReelHistory I think one of the most forgotten or least talked about fronts is the CBI theater, which famously featured the 5307th Composite Unit, aka Merrill's Marauders.
The D-Day museum in New Orleans had a 20th anniversary of Band of Brothers symposium last year. It was postponed a year due to covid. Met and spoke to Ross briefly during autograph signing. I asked him if he spoke German and he surprised me by saying he did not. All of the symposium sessions are available on the museum's RUclips channel. They are well worth watching.
@@kcw8181 an interesting statement, origin please!! I am aware that Joe whilst he was originally a taxi driver, before the war he did not actually return to that occupation. As I understand it he lived in LA and was a barber.
Thanks. Their portrail of what they did was great. A girlfriend's Dad never spoke about what he did until we watched Saving Private Ryan. He said things neither my girlfriend nor his wife had ever heard. He came to Europe on D-Day at the "bad: Beach. I'd already gotten my Dad's stories (P47s). So many to thank.
I remember watching band of brothers for the first time with my grandfather. I knew he was a marine but I never knew he served in Nam, much less Korea as well. I asked him questions about things I saw in the show and he would always smile and shake his head a little. He’d explain the answer to my question, give me a short example from his own experience, and then we’d sit in silence and watch the show. I look back on that now as a grown man with combat deployments behind me, and I can’t help but think of that little smirk and head shake. He did such a good job keeping it clean while maintaining composure and relating to me the nice parts of his story. I know now the horror his units suffered over there and the terrible things he saw. He never mentioned them. When my son or god willing my grandson one day ask me similar questions, I have his example to look to before I relate my experiences. One of the few great men I’ve gotten to be around in my life and I’m eternally grateful. What I wouldn’t give for 8 hours in a room with him as two grown men. I’d probably struggle a lot less with alcoholism and service related stress, both of which he certainly struggled with very privately. Better times than these.
As a historian, the holocaust is an evil human tragedy, on a scale which cannot be properly described in words. I can appreciate the very visceral reaction the actors must have had; knowing this was a re-creation of Kaufering concentration camp, yet knowing the evil it is portraying was very real. The smell of death, torture and starvation; the sight of piles of bodies turned to skin and bones, and lifeless faces starring back at you in dirty striped rags...I could not imagine in my worst nightmares. This must have been a difficult shoot.
Loved this guys character, watching this clip not realising the task he had to go through without meeting the Soldier Leibgott himself to hear his time and life with Easy Company in WWII.
Liebgott was my favorite character for sure! Always kind and charismatic. one of my favorite scene is when he finally forgives what's his face, the dude who stayed in the hospital too long, and lends him a hand up the truck. It showed what kind of a man Liebgott was. He believes what he did (avoiding Bastogne) was a horrible move, but at the end of the day he still was his brother. It was a sweet moment. So cool you got him to interview!
I love how deeply this story impacted the cast. What an honor to portray these men and create easily the best WW2 series or movie to date. It’s a timeless masterpiece, that I’ve continued to watch every year, since it was released over 20 years ago. Ross is brilliant to watch, he’s so good thst you feel like your watching the real thing. It’s rare to have a cast carry on years after a film or series has ended, and it’s beautiful to see how much respect they have for these men, that they carry on their legacy all these years later. Sadly all the men portrayed have now passed and soon we won’t have any living veterans of WW2. It’s important that we keep their stories alive, for future generations to discover, cause they are the greatest generation and I’m positive we will never see another one like it.
While watching the original showing of BoB, I began, episode by episode, to get more and more depressed, as I had almost instantly started loving these men, as they struggled through Camp Tocoa to D-Day to begin fighting the Germans. And I knew, sadly, that some of these men would be getting wounded and even killed. The longer the episodes went on, the more depressed about their fate weighted heavily on me. It was happiness when the series wrapped up, and we knew who had made it and who had not. And it was a hoot, listening to the survivors after they were identified.
If McCall ever sees this, I've always admired his work in "Band of Brothers". There's a scene towards the end of the series where Leibgott (sp?) and two other soldiers are hunting a suspected SS officer in the mountains. It's one of my favorite scenes in the entire run, incredibly powerful. At the start of the confrontation there's seething, quiet dialogue spoken in German between Liebgott and the suspected officer. Suddenly Liebgott hollers out and produces a pistol. He screams something to the effect of, _Did you do this to my fucking_ people? Leibgott, a Jewish soldier, surely felt terrible rage, which McCall conveys powerfully. It's a great scene I've watched several times and I always admire McCall's excellent performance. Writing this reminds me how I also admire McCall's performance during the episode depicting the liberation of the concentration camp, which is kind of a masterpiece and one of the best episodes of television I've ever seen. There's a acene where McCall has to translate for Captain Winters, speaking to one of the prisoners in German. Another great scene played really well by McCall.
@@johnc5023 Everyone in Easy company assumed he was Jewish due to his name. Also, it was suspected that his mother was Jewish but had Joe be raised as Catholic after his father. Now since everyone in Easy thought he was Jewish, the book was written to reflect that assumption, and the show followed that example, making Liebgott (the character, not the real man) Jewish. Also the original comment you're replying to is specifically talking about the show, and Ross McCall's performance in the show, not the real Joseph Liebgott... Do some research before typing.
He said “See what you did to my people?!” It’s quite the powerful roar and I imagine it does reflect the anger many Jewish people across the world felt in the horrific wake of the Holocaust. Liebgott was one of my favorites in BoB and I admire McCall’s absolute dedication in making Joe Liebgott proud as he rests amongst his brothers in arms.
Professor, I have to say an excellent job, I hope to visit and see these places someday to pay my respects. What an honor it is to hear you interview some of the actors on B.O.B, as I watch it every year. I always felt bad in a sense for Liebgott* (My apologies for mispronunciation). Especially in the finale episode, may God Rest their Souls and may they rest in Peace.
As much as I like the idea of protecting legacy… isn’t it protecting the legacy to tell the follow up stories of the men (boys at the time) that were war heroes and how they progressed through life after? We have so many veterans back from a 20 year war that are trying to love on with their lives.. a movie that addresses that issue would be amazing. About how they went home and reintegrated with their families and peace time lives but still stayed together through the years. Could speak volumes to the veterans today who try to deal with what they’ve seen and the legacy they do and will have.
Such a great talent. That scene when EZ discovers the Concentration Camp and he has to translate orders is simply haunting. You can tell how well he gets into character for it. I think most audiences really appreciated that. One of the best Series ever created and Liebgott is a great part of it.
Ross seems like a real down to earth guy, just like most of the cast from BoB!!!! Great show. I watch it every June, something that should be watched by our youth!!!! Maybe then they would respect and appreciate life more!
I did read a thing about the guy who played Lt Buck Compton, Neal McDonough, where he got injured on set and had to go to the hospital to get stiches while still wearing his uniform. He had heard that back then in the 40's they wouldnt have had access to novacaine and so dident have anything while they stitched him up.
Wilford Brimley tweeted he started rewatching BoB. A couple of weeks later I heard he passed away. I think he knew it was the last tv show he was going to watch. He was in the Marines. I hope he made it to Austria.
McCall's portrayal of Leibgott showed a guy who had a bit of humor but a very deep serious side as well. We all admire the work he did in the concentration camp scenes, but also small things like when he told Webster he loves to read -- Flash Gordon mostly, was incredible and also portrayed the class divides of the war. Leibgott was a blue collar taxi driver from San Francisco, Webster was a private school educated New England WASP from Connecticut. Both men forced into the same horrific conditions by fate of history. In the end, they were brothers with a traumatic bond nobody back home would understand.
Really loved Ross' portrayal of Leibgott, his acting during the concentration camp scene was phenemenal and really captured the horror of not only seeing the camp for the first time, but then having to tell the recently liberated prisoners that they had to stay inside the camp.
Indeed, yeah. If I remember correctly, eventually he puts his hands on the camp fence and looks completely defeated.
McCall really does great work throughout the entire series. Still one or my favorite performances.
Because I don't think it was acting. That's why they didn't allow them to see the camp before hand.
@mcnultyssobercompanion6372 totally agree, I also love the conversation he has with Webster towards the end of the series about reading. Shows a little of the disparity in the backgrounds of the men
I remember him in GREEN STREET as West Ham’s GREEN STREET ELITE FIRMS Dave.⚽️
Absolutely. They are all great episodes, that formed the best mini series, but the episode you mentioned brings it home.
His translation of the German General's speech to his troops was very well done.
Band of brothers has to be one of , if not the greatest television series of all time!
There have been lots of really good TV series over the years, and BoB is way up there for me. There has also been a lot of mediocre tv series. And a mega shit ton of crappy ones.
No question in MY mind about that. I agree totally.
Once Masters of the Air has been released, will have to do a full binge watching session: BoB, The Pacific, MotA - as good as getting a degree in history 😂
My dad didn’t discuss his war time experience at all. I think we found out more after he died. Along with my in laws family one grandfather was a Normandy veteran the other out in Egypt with Monty. None of them spoke a word. In fact we only found out one grandfather was a Normandy veteran at his funeral. The British Legion made arrangements for a guard of honour for him. We also found his letters home from those days to his wife. So loving full of joy at the birth of his son.
My dad went out with the Americans on D day not sure why lol he also sent home parcels not to opened till him came home. I could not have managed that. But mum did waiting for the day he came home not doubting he would.
They all were wonderful men what we call mens men strong and protective of their families. Keeping the horrors they had been through to themselves. I love Band of Brothers it would be nice to see something similar covering the British. What they did and coped with before the Americans entered the war.
It’s without doubt the greatest mini series ever made.
The Band of Brothers scene with Mr. McCall that I found most moving was when Liebgott sat down in the bed of a truck after he delivered the announcement that the inmates of the camp were restricted to the camp. He did an incredible job of showing how that hurt him, no words, just showing.
You are spot on, his emotions were real. Of course the fact not revealed correctly was that Liebgott whilst of German origin was not Jewish - he was Catholic.
When Leibgott had to escort German prisoners back to HQ from "Crossroads" with 1 round in his weapon, it made me smile!
I love how humble all the actors are. Every actor I’ve seen interviewed has had so much humility about their roles in BOB and you can see the respect they have for the men they portrayed.
We may not get a BoB sequel but content like this is still golden!
Wouldn't "The Pacific" be considered a sequel? It doesn't follow the same characters but is still a continuation of the war by the same people.
Also Masters of the Air, which is still forthcoming!
Thank you for mentioning MOTA, I haven't actually heard of this before but saw the trailer just now and it looks amazing. I'll definitely give that a watch soon.
@@CPTCosmos I'm not sure if there is a proper trailer for it yet, but it's supposed to be out by the end of the year. Hopefully it's good, I've been waiting years haha
@@jollysmalls I've just noticed that, I think it was a mish mash of clips from other shows but the premise definitely looks interesting. Will be keeping my eyes open for it.
Loved Leibgott's moment at the end of the series translating the German commander and it really makes the point for a window into the enemy minds set whereby they're no different. So glad they left that way instead of subtitles, his voice made it hit home.
The warmacht were normal soldiers it was the SS that was evil. Poor drafted soldiers like the naval guys
@@christiancherniss8063The Wehrmacht had its part in the holocaust as well. I suggest you read the book “Ordinary Men” to learn about the role that just regular Germans played in the Final Solution.
It's interesting if you watch it dubbed in German. They have Liebgott almost speaking badly, or at least somewhat mocking the German commander.
@@douglasiles2024 English subtitles for this show aren't all that great either.
@chrisbolliger5717 I don't mean the subtitles. You can watch it in German and if you understand the language you'll know that what Liebgott is saying isn't what is actually said in the original English version.
Watching BoB for the 10th time or so since Netflix added it. Still blows my mind what those men did. 22 years later and the show is still one of the best ever made. Great interview!
Agreed! I’m about to start reading the original memoir by Winters (not the book the show was based on - apparently the show pretty much covers it all)
Jared asked some great questions and Ross, well he answered them beautifully. The Band of Brothers fought in WWII and the men who portrayed them is a continuation of, not only the men of Easy Company, but of those who have fought in America’s wars. My Dad died just before Band Of Brothers aired. Albert C. Mixer Pfc, 28th Inf. Div., 110th Inf. Reg., A Company. Dad was one of the 50 survivors of the 110th in Bastogne & fought beside the t/Screaming Eagles in the defense of Bastogne. I asked Dad, just before his death from several TBI’s in The War, that “The Airborne (Screaming Eagles) are the best of the best”. Dementia from the TBI’s throughout his brain but His War, he still remembered. Thank you Jared for all you do.
BOB is the greatest tv series of all time, we all feel like we know those fine men. Thank you for your service and thank you to the acotors for doing their legacy proud.
We watch BoB and The Pacific every year, my Dad served in the Royal Navy in WW2 deployed to Russian Convoy Escorts in the Arctic Circle and my Mum and her family lived in London during the Blitz. My wife's Dad was a grunt in the US Army in WW2 and this is our annual tribute to their service and to all of those who served and died during that period of history
I absolutely love Ross’ answer about protecting the legacy and his thoughts on a follow up movie. Much respect.
I met Ross and Jimmy Madio on a WWII tour in 2017. There are no better examples of perfect gentlemen on the planet. It was MY absolute privilege to be in their company for that time. Thank you both for all you do.
Great interview and humble.
He did an excellent portrayal of Liebgott.
We agree
Liebgott's translation of the German officer's speech to his men, in Episode 10, was one of the most heartfelt moments in the whole series, realising that the guys on the other side were no different, just trying to survive and do their jobs.
Evidence of Wehrmacht participation in massacres has come up.
The Wermacht did a fair amount of atrocities and very much complicit in the Holocaust.
As i get older i realize more and more how fast time goes by... Doesn't seem like that long ago when Band of Brothers first came out. That series changed my life.
Mr. McCall did such a great job in the role. His portrayal of Liebgott really stands out as he portrayed a Jewish cab driver who became a great soldier. It was quite a charismatic performance, especially the scene where he acted as translator in the Concentration Camp and the scene translating the words of the Ge4man general to his troops. Those scenes I will never forget.
They got a couple things wrong in the show. He wasn’t a cab driver he was a barber. And although his mother was Jewish, he was raised Catholic.
Incredible! Such a great portrayal by an superb actor. Like a few of them, I had no idea Mr. McCall us British!!
@ the 15:54 mark, Ross does the exact same look away mannerism as his Liebgott portrayal in "Why We Fight" in the Deuce and Half when talking to Webster. The "alright Web, breath a little geeze... it's just the way you always talked you know, we all figured that... hey you know what, you're right, so the freak what" Harvard discussion moment.
Fun Fact: Ross McCall is one of two actors to have appeared in an HBO WWII series *and* to have portrayed Freddie Mercury. The other is Rami Malek in 'The Pacific.' McCall played Mercury in 'The Miracle' music video and Malek of course played him in the movie 'Bohemian Rhapsody.'
Weird coincidence, but there you go.
Great trivia!
Great interview. It’s always cool to hear the “behind the scenes” stories. I had no idea he was Scottish with a British accent. 😂 Kudos to him.
He has a mix of English and Scottish accent, mostly with a Scottish twang to it
Scottish with an English accent. Scotland is part of Britain. He's from a part of Scotland that was part of the British Kingdom of Strathclyde. Britons dominated the entire Island until the Roman's arrived. Later, Anglo-Saxons dominated England, and Gaels dominated Scotland.
The way Ross and Damian handled those M1 Garands was beyond acting.
Winters' followup autobiography had a bit more to say about Liebgott than the Band book and series. Still a very good guy overall, but in the context of war, he felt Liebgott had some of what was going on with Speirs, some of that darkness. Winters indirectly admits being a little afraid of him, and mentions taking the safety off his gun when giving him the order to deliver all prisoners alive.
Well his mother was jewish, so as he, I can put myself in his shoes..
That scene where he has to stand on the truck and tell all those poor sunzabitches that the Army's locking them back up is THE gut punch of the series for me.
I mean, that whole episode makes me cry every time I watch it, like I have to prepare myself for E9 every rewatch, but "...I can't tell 'em that, sir" and then the way it just breaks Liebgott to have to deliver the message 😢
The band of brothers and the pacific were both the most out standing documentaries ever produced! Really really well done. Kudos to the producers!!! .
Ross is a top notch fella! Honest and good man! I appreciate how he and the others keep the memories of these great men alive and do so much to make sure their sacrifices are remembered!
Had the privilege of meeting him in Baton Rouge Louisiana at a Burger King lol AWESOME guy!!!
I love hearing the actors and the humility they have for the experience in this beautiful show
This guy is why I came back to this channel. His critiques and content like this are treasures. I can't praise or thank you enough. BoB is staggering in scope, an event like none other. It still tears me apart, and I still watch it and see details I've never caught because of the emotional impact it had on me. Episode 9 blew my mind because I had talked about and studied the liberation of this and other camps for years. I still can't imagine being there. Thanks, guys.
Thank you.
“I was a part of him and he was a part of me” That hit hard. My grandpa served in the 506th during ww2, being a big fan of the series and the fact that he would never discuss the war, that was very touching.
I had the privilege of going to the Easy Company reunion Oct. 22. I got to hang out and speak with many of the children and grandchildren of the Easy Company soldiers. One of the actor's showed up too. Really great experience that I will always remember.
I find it hilarious that the older he gets the more like Jason Statham he sounds
Another thing is that it really speaks to me that these actors have reunions themselves which just speaks to the legacy of how important that production was and how important the men they were preparing were to everybody involved.
Band of Brothers has remained my all time favourite series of all time. It upholds the many legacies of the men of Easy and is a treasure to watch.
Absolutely incredible Prof. Frederick. Hearing the stories, training experiences, emersions that these people went through to try and get the series right and do these men justice is beyond words. The fact that no member of Easy is still with us, and these men that portrayed them are having their own reunions now is so endearing. Easy Company will never die. Currahee ♠
P.S. It's so weird hearing him and Winters having accents!
You realise everyone has an accent right?
Ross is a Scottish Catholic playing a Jewish American of German ancestry. We were convinced!!
McCall, as well as the other actors in B.O.B. did justice to the greatest generation. I am grateful for that.
The saying "greatest generation" sounds like a joke to me, knowing how many of them were racist asf back them, even more than today.
They were normal human beings just like today folks, there were good guys and bad guys, but ppl, even the old ones who are supposed to have wisdow, always fall for the illusion, or naiveté that ppl back then were somehow better.
I grew very fond of Liebgott as the episodes went by. This actor has such a likeable, charismatic face.
Thank you Ross and Jared. This was a real treat. Your portrayal of Joe Liebgott was outstanding in the way you reflected his growth over time. I have always considered your role as central to the BOB story. Malarky, Liebgott, and Lipton were the soul of Easy Co.
The first episode of BoB I saw in its original run was "Why We Fight" in a motel during a vacation (we didn't have HBO at home at the time). That's the one where they liberate the concentration camp, and Joe Leibgott is featured prominently because he speaks German and acts as interpreter for the prisoners. On the strength of that episode I bought the DVD box set as soon as it came out and watched the whole series in two nights.
This was absolutely fabulous. Really enjoyed this interview. Mr. McCall's performance was fantastic throughout, but positively stellar in 'Why We Fight'. Everything in the whole series was incredible, but that episode gets to the viewer like nothing else can. And Ross McCall was instrumental in that. Thank you so much for this interview.
Liebgott’s family were hard to find to get background information from. He was actually a divorced Dad, was a barber, not a cab driver and while a translator, as he was ethnically German, he was not a practicing Jew, as was told by his family in one of the subsequent books to the series. So Ross McCall due to having little access to the family, played more of an invented character based on a historical figure, as he states in this interview he only received a thin Manila envelope with info about Joseph Liebgott.
What an amazing unexpected surprise! This was excellent! Thank you Jared and team for making this happen! And of course a big thanks to Ross McCall for giving this terrific face to face interview! Zoom/facetime syle interviews are fine, but in person sit-down interviews simply cannot be matched! Thanks again everyone 🙌👍
It was fun to make. More to come!
@@ReelHistory I can't wait, Also now I feel bad for calling Andrew "crew" 😂👍
It's ok.....I pretty much am. I hate being in front of the camera.
When I was on Twitter/X, I followed Ross. GREAT content!
Sincerely appreciate his portrayal of Liebgott, as well as his steadfast loyalty to "Band of Brothers."
my favorite “character” in the show. loved his portrayal of liebgott! loved him in white collar too. such an underrated actor. ❤
I love the scene when Winters made him escort the German prisoners back with one round in his rifle.
Thanks Ross. Loved your portrayal of Libgott. Thank you and all the best to you and your family Sir
These people are to be respected for their performance and more so for their reverence for the people they portrayed. Jared, thanks for showing us the the better side of their profession.
I would like to see a Band of Brothers reunion movie. It could include flashbacks and bring in new storylines of other men the series didn’t focus on. I think Band of Brothers, The Pacific and Saving Private Ryan are priceless moments of filmmaking. I just wish they could do a series focusing on the surface fleet battles around Guadalcanal, Surigao Strait and Samar.
There are so many forgotten fronts of the war.
@@ReelHistory I think one of the most forgotten or least talked about fronts is the CBI theater, which famously featured the 5307th Composite Unit, aka Merrill's Marauders.
Leibgott never attended any of the reunions
The D-Day museum in New Orleans had a 20th anniversary of Band of Brothers symposium last year. It was postponed a year due to covid. Met and spoke to Ross briefly during autograph signing. I asked him if he spoke German and he surprised me by saying he did not. All of the symposium sessions are available on the museum's RUclips channel. They are well worth watching.
@@kcw8181 an interesting statement, origin please!! I am aware that Joe whilst he was originally a taxi driver, before the war he did not actually return to that occupation. As I understand it he lived in LA and was a barber.
Great interview.
One of my favourite programs ever. I have probably watched it through 25 times. Very powerful.
That's cool the actors stay in touch and have reunions. I can imagine filming the series was a major life event for all these guys.
I love that you got the opportunity to sit down with Ross and the opportunity to share it with us man! Love the channel. So glad to see you growing 🥲
Great achievement, great story, great series, great interview.
It was a perfect ending CANT wait for Masters of the Air
His Pvt. Leibgott was outstanding.
Thanks. Their portrail of what they did was great. A girlfriend's Dad never spoke about what he did until we watched Saving Private Ryan. He said things neither my girlfriend nor his wife had ever heard. He came to Europe on D-Day at the "bad: Beach. I'd already gotten my Dad's stories (P47s). So many to thank.
Thank you for the sit-down interview. The series BoB, I've watched many times, always chokes up. What those boys-men went thru. Amazing grit.
I remember watching band of brothers for the first time with my grandfather. I knew he was a marine but I never knew he served in Nam, much less Korea as well. I asked him questions about things I saw in the show and he would always smile and shake his head a little. He’d explain the answer to my question, give me a short example from his own experience, and then we’d sit in silence and watch the show. I look back on that now as a grown man with combat deployments behind me, and I can’t help but think of that little smirk and head shake. He did such a good job keeping it clean while maintaining composure and relating to me the nice parts of his story. I know now the horror his units suffered over there and the terrible things he saw. He never mentioned them. When my son or god willing my grandson one day ask me similar questions, I have his example to look to before I relate my experiences. One of the few great men I’ve gotten to be around in my life and I’m eternally grateful. What I wouldn’t give for 8 hours in a room with him as two grown men. I’d probably struggle a lot less with alcoholism and service related stress, both of which he certainly struggled with very privately. Better times than these.
God damn does this channel deserve all the views and all the subs.
That's kind of you. Thanks!
100%, it sets a high standard for what documentaries should be like
@@neilholmes8200 It really bugs me that alt-right pipeline channels get tons of views while real history channels suffer on RUclips.
As a historian, the holocaust is an evil human tragedy, on a scale which cannot be properly described in words. I can appreciate the very visceral reaction the actors must have had; knowing this was a re-creation of Kaufering concentration camp, yet knowing the evil it is portraying was very real. The smell of death, torture and starvation; the sight of piles of bodies turned to skin and bones, and lifeless faces starring back at you in dirty striped rags...I could not imagine in my worst nightmares. This must have been a difficult shoot.
Loved this guys character, watching this clip not realising the task he had to go through without meeting the Soldier Leibgott himself to hear his time and life with Easy Company in WWII.
Absolutely amazing!
Jared, thanks for all you do as in this interview with Ross, for keeping WWII in the forefront of our memories.. Keep up the Good Work.
Yay, it's here! What a treat. Many thanks to both of you.
Wind did not ruin interview. Thank you for doing that. Spectacular location.
Glad you enjoyed it
I could listen to these guys talk for hours, thank you for these interviews, I really hope you continue to get more of them :)
Liebgott was my favorite character for sure! Always kind and charismatic. one of my favorite scene is when he finally forgives what's his face, the dude who stayed in the hospital too long, and lends him a hand up the truck. It showed what kind of a man Liebgott was. He believes what he did (avoiding Bastogne) was a horrible move, but at the end of the day he still was his brother. It was a sweet moment. So cool you got him to interview!
I love how deeply this story impacted the cast. What an honor to portray these men and create easily the best WW2 series or movie to date. It’s a timeless masterpiece, that I’ve continued to watch every year, since it was released over 20 years ago. Ross is brilliant to watch, he’s so good thst you feel like your watching the real thing. It’s rare to have a cast carry on years after a film or series has ended, and it’s beautiful to see how much respect they have for these men, that they carry on their legacy all these years later. Sadly all the men portrayed have now passed and soon we won’t have any living veterans of WW2. It’s important that we keep their stories alive, for future generations to discover, cause they are the greatest generation and I’m positive we will never see another one like it.
Joe Leibgott was a favorite. Great video. And thank you sirs.
I don't watch many actor's interviews but this ranks as one of the best. Well done sirs
Thank you!
Enjoyed the interview
What a great interview. Bravo!!
He’s prolly my top 2 or 3 characters on the show. Did a fantastic job
While watching the original showing of BoB, I began, episode by episode, to get more and more depressed, as I had almost instantly started loving these men, as they struggled through Camp Tocoa to D-Day to begin fighting the Germans. And I knew, sadly, that some of these men would be getting wounded and even killed. The longer the episodes went on, the more depressed about their fate weighted heavily on me. It was happiness when the series wrapped up, and we knew who had made it and who had not. And it was a hoot, listening to the survivors after they were identified.
Yay... loved him in the series
Great interview, thank you for making!
Excellent interview and really put a smile on my face, thank you for all your hard work!
Thanks for tuning in!
If McCall ever sees this, I've always admired his work in "Band of Brothers".
There's a scene towards the end of the series where Leibgott (sp?) and two other soldiers are hunting a suspected SS officer in the mountains. It's one of my favorite scenes in the entire run, incredibly powerful.
At the start of the confrontation there's seething, quiet dialogue spoken in German between Liebgott and the suspected officer. Suddenly Liebgott hollers out and produces a pistol. He screams something to the effect of, _Did you do this to my fucking_ people?
Leibgott, a Jewish soldier, surely felt terrible rage, which McCall conveys powerfully. It's a great scene I've watched several times and I always admire McCall's excellent performance.
Writing this reminds me how I also admire McCall's performance during the episode depicting the liberation of the concentration camp, which is kind of a masterpiece and one of the best episodes of television I've ever seen.
There's a acene where McCall has to translate for Captain Winters, speaking to one of the prisoners in German. Another great scene played really well by McCall.
Liebgott was a Roman Catholic..... do some research before typing.
@@johnc5023 Everyone in Easy company assumed he was Jewish due to his name. Also, it was suspected that his mother was Jewish but had Joe be raised as Catholic after his father. Now since everyone in Easy thought he was Jewish, the book was written to reflect that assumption, and the show followed that example, making Liebgott (the character, not the real man) Jewish. Also the original comment you're replying to is specifically talking about the show, and Ross McCall's performance in the show, not the real Joseph Liebgott... Do some research before typing.
He said “See what you did to my people?!” It’s quite the powerful roar and I imagine it does reflect the anger many Jewish people across the world felt in the horrific wake of the Holocaust.
Liebgott was one of my favorites in BoB and I admire McCall’s absolute dedication in making Joe Liebgott proud as he rests amongst his brothers in arms.
Professor, I have to say an excellent job, I hope to visit and see these places someday to pay my respects. What an honor it is to hear you interview some of the actors on B.O.B, as I watch it every year. I always felt bad in a sense for Liebgott* (My apologies for mispronunciation). Especially in the finale episode, may God Rest their Souls and may they rest in Peace.
Thank you!
Awesome interview.
I just watched the series again the last two nights, such a classic and very awesome interview in a very cool place. Well done
Glad you enjoyed it!
What an amazing interview and story! Thank you for this!
This video is a 1000% glow up from the humble channel I started watching two years ago!
Fantastic work, Jared!
We humbly accept your generosity. Thank you!
As much as I like the idea of protecting legacy… isn’t it protecting the legacy to tell the follow up stories of the men (boys at the time) that were war heroes and how they progressed through life after? We have so many veterans back from a 20 year war that are trying to love on with their lives.. a movie that addresses that issue would be amazing. About how they went home and reintegrated with their families and peace time lives but still stayed together through the years. Could speak volumes to the veterans today who try to deal with what they’ve seen and the legacy they do and will have.
Can never get enough Liebgott
Such a great talent. That scene when EZ discovers the Concentration Camp and he has to translate orders is simply haunting. You can tell how well he gets into character for it. I think most audiences really appreciated that. One of the best Series ever created and Liebgott is a great part of it.
I love the time he played a child Freddy Mercury in the video for Queen's The Miracle. It's great!! You can see how much fun he's having.
Thank you. Great job
Excellent interview.
Thanks!
Would like to see portraits of actors with the person they portrayed
Leidgott was one of my favorite characters. Great job. Would have never thought you're not home grown since you spoke real American.
Man I wish we could have a Band of Brothers cast reunion with them reacting to highlights of the show.
Ill pay anything to make that happen
Ross seems like a real down to earth guy, just like most of the cast from BoB!!!! Great show. I watch it every June, something that should be watched by our youth!!!! Maybe then they would respect and appreciate life more!
Awesome interview!!
I did read a thing about the guy who played Lt Buck Compton, Neal McDonough, where he got injured on set and had to go to the hospital to get stiches while still wearing his uniform. He had heard that back then in the 40's they wouldnt have had access to novacaine and so dident have anything while they stitched him up.
That was during boot camp.
Great job interviewing Ross!😊❤
The quality of BoB is so high that it became timeless.
That was a fun little interview!
Another wonderful video!!!
What a wonderful interview 😊
Thank you.
Wilford Brimley tweeted he started rewatching BoB. A couple of weeks later I heard he passed away. I think he knew it was the last tv show he was going to watch. He was in the Marines. I hope he made it to Austria.