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Military folk that became Celebrities

Dec 8, 2011#1

Necronic

I've always found it interesting which actors served in the military. For some reason this morning I got temporarilly obsessed with Gomer Pile and started looking stuff up, then found out that Frank Sutton (the sgt from the show) served in 14 beach assaults in the pacific theatre (holy cow.)

Lee Marvin (The Dirty Dozen) is probably one of the more well known ex-military actors. Dude served as a sniper.

James Doohan (Scotty from the original star trek) served on D-Day, doing some pretty heroic stuff. That's also where he had one of his fingers blown off.

Russel Johnson (The Professr from Gilligans Island) flew 44 missions as a bombadier/commander.

Anyways, list some of your favorite military to actor transitions out there.

Edit: Ok, this is by far the best. Drew Carey served 6 years in the Marine Corps Reserve. And this was his picture:

Dec 8, 2011#2

Dave

R. Lee. Ermey.

'Nuff said.

Dec 8, 2011#3

sixpackshaker

Jimmy Stewart - He was one of the best bomber pilots during the war. Made the rank of Brigadier General in the reserves. He rose from private to colonel in four years.

Don Knotts - US Army Special Services - Juggled and did Ventriloquism for the troops.

Dec 8, 2011#4

evilmike

Jimmy Stewart -- Drafted in 1940 after he already had an established career in Hollywood. During WWII, he lobbied to be assigned to a combat unit instead of the training unit he was assigned. He officially flew 20 missions as the lead pilot of a bomber group. He flew a number of missions outside of this total -- he ordered that they were left off of his official total. After the war, he continued to be active in the reserve until 1968. He retired with a rank of Brigadier General.

Dec 8, 2011#5

sixpackshaker

TV Tropes said:
Christopher Lee has told a story (in The Films of Christopher Lee) that when he tried to perform a scene of his being shot the way he'd seen people shot in WWII — "I put an expression of slight surprise on my face and slowly sank to the floor with great dignity" — the people on set found it hilarious.

For those who didn't see the DVD extras, Christopher Lee served with the Special Operations Executive in World War II. The SOE's job was to perform sabotage across Europe. While the actions of all SOE agents are still classified, during filming of The Lord of the Rings, Christopher Lee told Peter Jackson how it would sound when Saruman was fatally stabbed in the back. Because he knows exactly how that sounds. Probably because he's stabbed people in the back or because he was stabbed in the back himself.

Lee was also turned down for a role in The Longest Day... for not looking like a military man.

Dec 8, 2011#6

drifter

Mel Brooks:

While serving as a combat engineer in the US Army, he was known to respond to German propaganda broadcasts by doing an Al Jolson imitation of "Toot Toot Tootsie."

Dec 8, 2011#7

Necronic

I'm pretty irritated at myself for not remembering Jimmy Stewart. Seeing as he was probably the greatest American actor of all time and he ended his service as a general.

Dec 8, 2011#8

AshburnerX

Yeah, I find it hilarious that Christopher Lee's greatest role is likely to go untold until his death... the man used to sabotage the Nazis. Dracula was fighting Nazis in World War 2. Nothing can top that.

Dec 9, 2011#9

LittleSin

I read some where that Ian Fleming based James Bond off of his and Christopher Lees exploits in the military, because they were in the same unit.

Dec 9, 2011#10

sixpackshaker

Audie Murphy.
Added at: 14:20

Dec 9, 2011#11

evilmike

AshburnerX said:
Yeah, I find it hilarious that Christopher Lee's greatest role is likely to go untold until his death... the man used to sabotage the Nazis. Dracula was fighting Nazis in World War 2. Nothing can top that.

I would imagine this is close:

worked as a pilot for British commandos behind the Japanese lines in Burma.

One of several surprises in his biography. Before the war, he was married to the #1 pin up girl of WWII. Also, at one point, he was granted an audience with the Pope.

Dec 9, 2011#12

drawn_inward

Charles effing Bronson was a tail-gunner in WWII - got a Purple Heart.

And, Toshiro Mifune served in WWII for the Japanese.

Bronson fighting Mifune? That's pretty epic. Samurai vs. Street-tough badass.

Dec 9, 2011#13

sixpackshaker

evilmike said:

I think it is more incredible that he was this kid here...

Dec 9, 2011#14

Necronic

sixpackshaker said:
Audie Murphy.
Added at: 14:20

Audie Murphy doesn't really count. He became a celebrity because he was a war hero. Kind of like the dude from Inglorious Basterds, but with less Nazi.

Dec 9, 2011#15

sixpackshaker

But he made some 60 odd movies afterward.

Dec 9, 2011#16

Necronic

You know it doesn't have to just be actors, let's just expand it to Celebrities. That way you can add people like Tolkien, who fought in WW1. Or JFK who was pretty much a war hero (NOBIGDEAL)

Dec 9, 2011#17

sixpackshaker

JFK was a movie star.

Actually if he did not show such heroism after the accident (or have a powerful daddy,) he would have been court martialed.

Dec 9, 2011#18

Covar

Necronic said:
You know it doesn't have to just be actors, let's just expand it to Celebrities. That way you can add people like Tolkien, who fought in WW1. Or JFK who was pretty much a war hero (NOBIGDEAL)

Well in that case.

Stan Lee wrote training films for the US Army.

Will Eisner drew illustrations for Army training manuals and publications. Joe Kubert still illustrates the Armies P.S., Preventive Maintenance Monthly today, although I'm not sure if he ever served.

Dec 9, 2011#19

sixpackshaker

Fucking Shel Fucking Silverstein... Cartoonist for Stars and Stripes.

Andy Rooney Reporter for Stars and Stripes, flew on some of the most dangerous missions of the war on a B-17. He was not even ordered to.

Dec 9, 2011#20

Officer_Charon

Covar said:
Joe Kubert still illustrates the Armies P.S., Preventive Maintenance Monthly today, although I'm not sure if he ever served.

So did my grandfather, for that matter... John "Jack" Carter.

Not so much a celebrity, though.

Dec 9, 2011#21

strawman

Necronic said:
I've always found it interesting which actors served in the military.

Given the number of young men that served in the armed forces due to the draft in WWI, WWII, and Vietnam you can very nearly just take the age groups of that time period and find out the actors who were that age at that time. Many, if not most, will have served in the military. Very few will discuss it openly, which is why it might seem a rare thing, but it's not.

Dec 9, 2011#22

Officer_Charon

Also...

Gene Hackman, Lee Marvin, and Harvey Keitel, to name three.

Also, I believe Bea Arthur was, as well.

Dec 9, 2011#23

sixpackshaker

Julia Child was a spy.

Eddie Albert was Coast Guard and saved a lot of Marine lives during a botched landing. At Tarawa he personally saved 47 Marine lives while under heavy fire, and supervised the rescue of 30 others.

Dec 9, 2011#24

kaykordeath

Kurt Vonnegut and Roald Dahl.

Dec 9, 2011#25

checkeredhat

LittleSin said:
I read some where that Ian Fleming based James Bond off of his and Christopher Lees exploits in the military, because they were in the same unit.

I read that too. And if I recall, and they were basically the Inglorious Basterds (not so much in the being Jewish, but in the way they conducted their missions). Trying to find the article now...

Was also going to post the Mel Brooks thing, because his story was remarkable.
*edit: Found them mentioned in a Cracked article, any way.
http://www.cracked.com/article_18550_5-true-war-stories-that-put-every-action-movie-to-shame.html

Dec 9, 2011#26

Piotyr

Many actors played James Bond.

Christopher Lee was James Bond.

Dec 9, 2011#27

grub

Piotyr said:
Many actors played James Bond.

Christopher Lee was James Bond.

For a second I thought you said Christopher Lloyd was James Bond. :shudder:

Dec 9, 2011#28

strawman

grub said:
For a second I thought you said Christopher Lloyd was James Bond. :shudder:

Dec 15, 2011#29

Mathias

stienman said:
Given the number of young men that served in the armed forces due to the draft in WWI, WWII, and Vietnam you can very nearly just take the age groups of that time period and find out the actors who were that age at that time. Many, if not most, will have served in the military. Very few will discuss it openly, which is why it might seem a rare thing, but it's not.

Yup, same with that era's sports athletes. Almost everyone in the MLB from 1939-1945 was in the military.

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