Some viewers misremember Ben Affleck as part of the cast of Saving Private Ryan - here's why. There were plenty of classic war movies set during World War 2 prior to Saving Private Ryan, including A Walk In The Sun and The Longest Day, but Steven Spielberg's 1998 drama brought the horrors of the conflict to mainstream cinema in a way it hadn't been shown before. From its unforgettable D-Day landing scene to the siege in the finale, the movie gave an unflinching look at the bloodshed and chaos created by war.
Saving Private Ryan is still a men on a mission kind of tale at its heart, with Tom Hanks' Captain Miller reluctantly leading his squad in search of a young soldier named Ryan, whose brothers were all killed in combat. The movie is somewhat flush with then up and coming acting talent, with Giovanni Ribisi and Vin Diesel both being part of Miller's squad, while Nathon Fillion plays a young soldier mistaken for Ryan along their hellish journey. A pre-Malcolm In The Middle Bryan Cranston also has a small role.
Of course, Matt Damon plays the title character, who doesn't show up until well into Saving Private Ryan. Damon appeared in the movie on the back of the incredible critical and commercial success that greeted Good Will Hunting, which came from a screenplay written by the actor and his friend Ben Affleck. The movie shot them both into the limelight, and they later reunited onscreen for Kevin Smith movies Dogma and Jay And Silent Bob Strike Back. Damon also passed on the 2003 Daredevil movie, which Affleck later starred in - a decision he famously regretted.
The two friends seemed inseparable during this era, which might be one reason viewers recall Ben Affleck being part of Saving Private Ryan. People often mix up Affleck with actor Edward Burns in the movie, who plays Private Reiben. Burns' character is one of the most prominent of Miller's squad and is easily identifiable with his BAR automatic rifle; he's also one of the few characters to survive the movie.
Ben Affleck and Edward Burns bear a mild resemblance, so given how closely identified Affleck and Damon were with one another during the time Saving Private Ryan was produced, the mix-up is somewhat understandable. Affleck would later appear in his own World War 2 adventure with Michael Bay's Pearl Harbor - though the film was far away from the tone of Saving Private Ryan.