Filming of "Band of Brothers" took about nine months, commencing in March 2000, and wrapping that November. So much for the work the actors had to do.

However, it didn't premiere on HBO until September 2001, and there was most likely editing-room tinkering going on for most of that time, which puts the total time making the miniseries at closer to a year and a half (rumor has it producers Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks are sort of perfectionists).

And that likely didn't bother stars Ron Livingston and Damian Lewis too much, since the series was a huge success (it won six Emmys from a staggering 19 nominations, and Livingston and Lewis were both nominated for Golden Globes, though both lost) and pretty much made stars of both of them.

Lewis, who played Maj. Richard Winters, was still just building a career in his native Britain (where "Band of Brothers" was filmed) when he landed the part, but afterward he went straight to the lead role in the high-profile miniseries "The Forsyte Saga." He's stuck mostly to the film business in Britain, where he lives with his wife, actress Helen McCrory (best known over here for playing Narcissa in the final three Harry Potter films) and their two children, Manan and Gulliver.

Iowa native Livingston was already on the map, as it were, having starred in the cult fave "Office Space" in 1999. But that success, as is often the case with cult roles, didn't really carry over, and by 2000 he was back to small roles and TV guest spots.

Post-"Band of Brothers," though, he became an established TV leading man. In 2006, he starred in the short-lived Fox series "Standoff," where he met his future wife, Rosemarie DeWitt.

Livingston is teaming up again with "Band of Brothers" producer Hanks and network HBO for another historical project, though this one is more recent history. "Game Change" is based on the book by Mark Halperin and John Heilemann and tells the story of the 2008 U.S. presidential election. Livingston will play McCain-Palin campaign adviser Mark Wallace.

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