Matt Damon famously plays the younger version of the eponymous James Ryan in Saving Private Ryan is renowned as one of the greatest war movies ever made. Tom Hanks’ portrayal of Captain Miller subverts the usual brave-faced war heroes played by the likes of John Wayne to show that most World War II soldiers were just regular people drafted to fight.

Since it’s the most iconic stretch of the movie, Saving Private Ryan’s D-Day landings sequence is often described as its opening scene. But the movie actually opens with a framing device. In the present day, an older James Ryan visits the Normandy Cemetery to pay his respects to his fallen brothers-in-arms. This brings back the harrowing memories of his wartime experiences, which make up the bulk of the film. But who plays this older version of Ryan?

Saving Private Ryan's Old Man Is Played By Harrison Young

Harrison Young Plays The Older James Ryan

The older version of Ryan seen in the opening and closing scenes of Saving Private Ryan is played by Harrison Young. Ryan is undoubtedly Young’s best-known role, but he had a prolific career as a character actor in film and television, starting in 1991 when he guest-starred as Lenny in the short-lived sitcom Down Home.

James Ryan (Matt Damon) looking at a bloody and injured Captain Miller (Tom Hanks) in Saving Private Ryan
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Young went on to play Grandpa Ed Taylor in Beverly Hills, 90210, Judge Cohen in CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, and General Foods in The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle. In the early 2000s, Young played a handful of ing roles in low-budget horror films.

Steven Spielberg won the Academy Award for Best Director for Saving Private Ryan.

He played Don Willis in House of 1000 Corpses, Elvis’ roommate in Bubba Ho-tep, and Sheriff Bowman in Tobe Hooper’s direct-to-video thriller Crocodile. Before Young ed away on July 3, 2005, he gave a brief but memorable turn as Harmony’s abusive father in Shane Black’s darkly comedic neo-noir Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.

Saving Private Ryan's Older Ryan Is One Of The Movie's Most Important Elements

The Framing Device Establishes The Overarching Theme Of Ryan's Survivor's Guilt

The older Ryan seen in the framing narrative is one of the most important elements of Saving Private Ryan. The emotional climax of the movie is when a mortally wounded Miller tells Ryan to earn the sacrifices that they made to send him home.

The central theme of the movie is Ryan’s survivor’s guilt, and the scenes with his older self highlight that.

At the Normandy Cemetery, standing over Miller’s grave, Ryan tells his family that he thinks about Miller’s words every day and that he’s tried to live his best life ever since. The central theme of the movie is Ryan’s survivor’s guilt, and the scenes with his older self highlight that.

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Saving Private Ryan
R
War
Drama
10/10
37
9.6/10
Release Date
July 24, 1998
Runtime
169 minutes
Director
Steven Spielberg

Cast

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Tom Hanks stars as Captain John Miller in Steven Spielberg's 1998 WWII film. Saving Private Ryan tells the story of Miller's command of a company of soldiers who risk their lives in an attempt to extricate Private James Ryan from the fighting in Europe, in order to spare his family from losing all of their sons after Ryan's brothers are killed in the war. Matt Damon, Edward Burns,  and Tom Sizemore also star. 

Studio(s)
DreamWorks Distribution