Drew Carey Reveals Action Star Who Almost was a Lead in his Show

For the last few months, Warner Bros. Television has rolled out episodes of The Drew Carey Show, daily. The sitcom aired on Disney-owned ABC TV from 1995 to 2004.

Today there was a double drop, with the channel releasing a 41-minute discussion between stars Drew Carey, Diedrich Bader, and series co-creator Bruce Helford.

Among the reveals: Leland Orser, who played Lieutenant DeWindt in Saving Private Ryan and Major Jackson in Pearl Harbor, was originally considered for the role of Lewis. Drew says that he didn’t know if Ryan Stiles or Leland would get the role, but as Deidrich weighs in, he “had a line about the trumpet and he blew it.”

Ryan Stiles went on to appear in a variety of ABC and Disney productions including Whose Line is it Anyway?, Buzz Lightyear of Star Command, Spooky Buddies, and Treasure Buddies.