From Fighting Forces To Fame
For decades, centuries even, the military has been an option for young people seeking a path through life and a way of serving their country. This experience can profoundly affect people, and it even propelled some into a career in entertainment.
Here are some famous faces who you may not have known got their start in the armed forces.
Alan Alda
Alan Alda is best known for his portrayal of Benjamin “Hawkeye” Pierce on the long-running Korean conflict series M*A*S*H. On the show, Alda’s character is staunchly anti-war, but as a member of the Army Reserve, the actor himself got some real-world experience before his starring role.
Photographer-Friedman-Abeles, New York, Wikimedia Commons
Bea Arthur
The Golden Girls’s Dorothy served for two years in the Marine Corps. She was a typist and truck driver, and one of the first members of the Women’s Reserve. Arthur’s service began in 1943 and she was discharged in 1945, which led her to a long and lauded career in film and television.
Everett Collection, Shutterstock
Bob Barker
Bob Barker hosted the game show The Price Is Right for so long that he has become indelibly associated with it. Before becoming a game show host, however, Barker served in the US Navy during WWII. He was a trained pilot qualified on eight different types of airplanes.
Tony Bennett
The legendary singer was drafted into the US Army in 1944 and sent to Europe immediately. His division was known as “Blood and Fire”. Bennett began singing while serving as part of a band, and after being discharged he used that experience to begin his long-standing career as an entertainer.
Humphrey Bogart
The esteemed star of The African Queen and Casablanca epitomized the hard-boiled male lead in early Hollywood. Before his rise to film stardom, Bogart served in the Navy during WWI. Much of his time as a sailor was spent crewing boats carrying soldiers between the US and Europe.
Charles Bronson
Steely-eyed Charles Bronson made his mark in Hollywood as an early action star, gaining great fame in the 1970s for the Death Wish films. Before his acting career, Bronson was a tail gunner on a B-29 during WWII. He used the money he earned in this position to fund his acting studies.
Mel Brooks
The legendary comedy writer, actor, and director got his start performing in a variety show that toured in Europe during WWII. Brooks went through training to join the army but was singled out for his gift of comedy and performance, and served his country by entertaining troops and boosting morale.
Brooksfilms, To Be or Not to Be (1983)
Drew Carey
Like his The Price Is Right predecessor, comedian and host Drew Carey spent time serving his country before becoming a television star. Carey was part of the US Marine Corps Reserve and actually began his career in stand-up comedy while still a part of the Marines.
Mercy For Animals MFA, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Johnny Cash
Country music legend Johnny Cash put his first band together while working as a Morse code operator in Germany. Cash joined the US Air Force in 1950 and was stationed in Germany as part of the US Air Force Security Service.
Michael Ochs Archives, Getty Images
Johnny Carson
Before becoming the king of late-night television, 20-year-old Johnny Carson joined the US Navy at the tender age of 20. Carson’s service included time as a midshipman on the USS Pennsylvania and as a code-breaking communications officer.
Sean Connery
The first actor to play the iconic role of James Bond, Sean Connery defined the role for decades to come. Before becoming an actor, at the age of 16, Connery joined Britain’s Royal Navy and served for three years. A stomach ulcer ended his service career, but thankfully gave us Connery’s suave and sophisticated spy.
MGM, From Russia with Love (1963)
James Doohan
Star Trek’s Mr Scott, engineer extraordinaire, was a member of the Royal Canadian Military during WWII. He led troops in the Invasion of Normandy on D-Day. Although he came through the invasion unscathed, later that night a nervous sentry mistook him for an enemy and shot him six times!
Wasfi Akab, Flickr
Clint Eastwood
Known for a string of performances as a no-nonsense man, it’s unsurprising that Clint Eastwood also served his country. What might be somewhat surprising is that, upon being drafted during the Korean conflict, he spent most of his time as a lifeguard and swim instructor at Fort Ord, California!
Morgan Freeman
Already interested in acting, Morgan Freeman instead opted to join the Air Force in 1955. He worked as a radar technician but left the service in 1959. Freeman enjoyed the work but later said that he became disillusioned with the Air Force life only a year or so into his service.
Gal Gadot
Service in the Israel Defense Forces is mandatory for all Israeli citizens, and Gal Gadot was no exception. Gadot was a gymnastics and calisthenics combat teacher, a role that likely prepared her for the physical requirements of her iconic portrayal of the original female superhero, Wonder Woman.
Getty Images
Alec Guinness
Another science fiction legend who participated in the D-Day Invasion of WWII, Alec Guinness was an officer on a landing craft for Britain’s Royal Navy. Guinness went on to become a war film icon in films such as Bridge Over The River Kwai before his star turn in the first Star Wars film.
Horizon Pictures, The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
MC Hammer
While he might be best known for “Hammer pants” and “Can’t Touch This”, MC Hammer (real name Stanley Burrell) was a US Navy Store Keeper for three years before leaving service and gaining stardom for his catchy rap tunes.
Charlton Heston
Star of The Ten Commandments and the original Planet of the Apes, Hollywood icon Charlton Heston enlisted in 1941 and ended up stationed in Alaska as a radio operator and aerial gunner. Despite the US just having entered WWII at the time, Heston never saw any combat.
Trailer screenshot, Wikimedia Commons
Ice-T
Given his anti-authoritarian rap career, it may be a real surprise that Ice-T served in the US Army for four years. Ice-T served in the 25th Infantry, and it was during his time in the Army that he managed to save up some money to buy the equipment he needed to start his rap career.
Wikimedia Commons
Buster Keaton
One of the earliest movie stars, silent film icon Buster Keaton was drafted into the Army during WWI. During his time serving in France, he caught a cold that damaged his hearing. Keaton remained deaf in one ear for the rest of his life.
Kris Kristofferson
The late country star joined the US Army in 1960 and was stationed in Germany. Kristofferson trained as a helicopter pilot. While serving overseas, he formed a band, a forerunner of his huge music career in the 1970s.
Magna Artists, Wikimedia Commons
Steve McQueen
Before starring in The Great Escape, one of the greatest war films of all time, Steve McQueen was a member of the US Marines in the late 1940s. After helping save five men from drowning, McQueen had the opportunity to be part of the honor guard for President Harry Truman.
Willie Nelson
Though he’s become an iconic old hippie in recent years, country superstar Willie Nelson enlisted in the US Air Force after graduating high school. He left the service just nine months later due to chronic back problems.
Larry Philpot, CC BY 2.0 , Wikimedia Commons
Chuck Norris
This one can’t be too much of a surprise. It was during his time with the US Air Force in South Korea that action hero Chuck Norris mastered the martial arts of Tang Soo Do and judo. These talents would propel him to stardom as a force to be reckoned with in 1980s action films.
Sidney Poitier
One of Hollywood’s most acclaimed actors, Poitier proved his acting chops before stardom by lying about his age to join the Army in 1943. At 16, he joined the US Army and served as a medical attendant at a mental hospital in New York.
United Artists, The Defiant Ones (1958)
Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley was already a household name when he was drafted in 1957. After training, Presley was assigned to the 1st Medium Tank Battalion, 32nd Armor, in Germany. It was during this time that he met his future wife, Priscilla Beaulieu.
Don Rickles
Legendary funny man Don Rickles attempted to enlist in the US Navy immediately after high school as an entertainer, but was turned down. Instead, he was enlisted as a Seaman First Class and spent two years serving aboard the USS Cyrene.
Bob Ross
Can you imagine Bob Ross screaming at you to make your bed properly, or to clean out a latrine? Ross spent 20 years in the US Air Force, eventually attaining the rank of Master Sergeant. After tiring of being “a mean, tough person”, Ross left the service and took up painting. The rest is history.
Pat Sajak
Another game show host who got his start in entertainment in the Armed Forces. Sajak joined the army in 1968 and worked as a DJ for Armed Forces radio. He spent a year and a half in the position and notably cut off Richard Nixon’s Christmas address to the troops early. Accidentally, of course.
CBS, The Pat Sajak Show (1989-90)
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Before becoming Mr. Universe, 18-year-old Arnold Schwarzenegger served in his native Austria. Schwarzenegger began his body-building career while still serving, and was actually punished for attending a competition with a few days in prison!
Maureen Keating, Wikimedia Commons
Tom Selleck
Tom Selleck took his experience of being in the Army and channeled it into the character he is best known for portraying, Thomas Magnum from Magnum, PI. Selleck served in the California Army National Guard from 1967 to 1973 and continues to be a supporter of veterans' rights and issues.
Featureflash Photo Agency, Shutterstock
Jimmy Stewart
Next time you watch It’s A Wonderful Life, keep in mind that star Jimmy Stewart ended up a Two-Star General in the US Army. He enlisted after he had begun his successful acting career, and ended up flying bombing missions in both WWII and the Vietnam conflict.
Mr T
Laurence Tureaud, better known as Mr T, was expelled from university for bad grades and became an MP. His service was exemplary, and eventually earned him a citation as “Top Trainee of the Cycle” and a promotion to squad leader.
Rocky III (1982), United Artists
Dr Ruth Westheimer
Dr Ruth, famous for her frank discussions of intimacy in the 80s and 90s, was also trained as a sniper in the Israeli Defense Forces as a teenager. She never used her skills in combat, and we wonder if any of them came in handy during her time as a therapist!
Harald Bischoff, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Betty White
Another Golden Girl joins the ranks! Iconic actor Betty White was a member of the American Women’s Voluntary Service. She drove a supply truck during her time in the service and was posthumously recognized for her service after she passed away in 2021.
CB Television, Wikimedia Commons
Montel Williams
Montel Williams, one of the big names of tabloid talk shows, had a long and acclaimed career in the American Armed Forces. He served in the US Navy in a number of positions before beginning work as a family counselor in the early 80s. He was awarded both the Navy Achievement Medal and the Navy Commendation Medal for his service.
Ted Williams
Known as one of the early superstars of baseball, Ted Williams left the game during WWII and joined the Navy. Williams trained to become a fighter pilot, though he later claimed that 99 percent of the pilots in his squadron “did a better job” than he did.
Apex Photo Company on Wikimedia
Adam Driver
Star Wars alum Adam Driver joined the Armed forces after the tragic events of September 11, 2001. After several years of training, Driver suffered a broken sternum from a mountain biking accident and was unable to join the rest of his unit when they were deployed overseas.
Featureflash Photo Agency, Shutterstock
Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix’s service was the result of an arrest for driving a stolen car. Rather than going behind bars, Hendrix became a member of the US Army’s 101st Airborne Division. After a year of service, he was honorably discharged for an ankle injury.
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