'Masters of the Air' Stars Anthony Boyle and Nate Mann Talk Boot Camp Bonding (Exclusive)

The Masters of the Air cast wasn't afraid to put in some hard work in order to prepare for their roles as the real-life heroes of World War II's 100th Bomb Group. Ahead of Friday's premiere of the Apple TV+ follow-up to Band of Brothers and The Pacific from executive producers Tom Hanks, Gary Goetzman and Steven Spielberg, actors Anthony Boyle (Major Harry Crosby) and Nate Mann (Major Rosie Rosenthal) revealed to PopCulture.com how a real-life boot camp got them into the headspace of the soldiers who helped turn the tides of WWII. 

"It was crazy. ...The normal rehearsal process you go in, you have a conversation, you have a coffee, talk about the character. This, we showed up and there was a man in his 60s or 70s [Captain Dale Dye] making us wear Army uniforms, calling us maggots," Boyle told PopCulture. "It was a very different process than what we were used to." 

It was "bizarre" meeting the rest of the cast — which also includes Austin Butler, Barry Keoghan and Callum Turner — while in character, Boyle continued. "We all had to put on these uniforms and get to meet each other and get to know each other as our characters. ... So it was a unique process and it was a very strange time, but it was so enriching, so enriching, and I think you see that on screen."

It wasn't just uniforms and titles that helped the actors embody their characters, as Mann pointed out the cast went as far as to learn how all of the machinery and equipment their characters would be using worked "so that when we're shooting these scenes we know where to look." He continued, "We had military advisors on our radio saying, 'Let's do that again. Let's make sure we get it right. You flip this one instead of this one.' All in service of trying to make it as authentic as possible."

The boot camp experience also served to bond the large cast. "Everyone came together and I think everyone had a good rapport," Boyle revealed. "We were saying there was a good group of lads – there was no one who was an asshole. You have 250 young actors, the odds are you're going to get a couple, [but] we really lucked out and everyone was really excited. ... Everyone helped each other."

Goetzman had nothing but high praise for the 1,200 crew members and "over 300 speaking parts" who made Masters of the Air possible, even through the pandemic shutdown that came "right smack in the worst part" of COVID and shut down production for "about 21, 22 days." The executive producer continued, "We knew we had this huge task of trying to make this movie fly, trying to keep it in the air and real and all of that, and if it wasn't for these fantastic actors that we have, it wouldn't be possible. They were all like, 'Hey, whatever, man. Can do.' You know what I mean? No grumbling, no nothing, they were all just solid citizens for us all the way through."

Masters of the Air premieres Friday, Jan. 26 on Apple TV+.