What character did Tom Hank play in "Saving Private Ryan"?

Before the war, Captain John Miller was just a mild-mannered high school English teacher, but the 34-year-old company commander of the 2nd Ranger Battalion found himself tasked with the Ryan rescue mission. Spielberg specifically wanted Hanks for the role because he felt the actor was the only one who wouldn't "want to use his teeth to pull out a pin from a hand grenade." The director was looking for someone who could project both strength and vulnerability, and Hanks delivered exactly that combination. Throughout the film, Miller's hands shake uncontrollably, reminding audiences that behind every war hero was just a regular person who got caught up in extraordinary circumstances.