Separating an actor from their characters is hard enough in this day and age of parasocial relationships between stars and fans, but imagining that many actors have had whole lives beyond their film or television careers is another thing entirely. Some of them spent years or even decades picking up odd jobs before their careers took off, others had passions aside from the world of high drama. Still others had full careers in other industries—such as, for example, the United States armed forces.
Many actors have served their time in the military, during both wartime and peacetime. American actors are American citizens, and the draft was in place until a few decades ago, so anyone could be brought up no matter how famous they were. Others enlisted on their own, or volunteered for service on the home front when duty called. Nevertheless, sometimes it’s surprising to imagine all these thespians out there in military uniform, learning drills and being shipped off to serve overseas.
In honor of our armed forces, we collected twelve famous names you probably know only for their storied acting careers, who also served in nearly every branch of the U.S. military. Some completed their service way before any of us knew their names, and others—such as one famous rock musician—served during the peak of their fame. All of them were informed and inspired by their service during their subsequent acting work, though only Chuck Norris turned his military duty into a lifelong martial arts career.
12 Actors Who Served in the Military
These 12 men and women all served in the military prior to (or sometimes during) their acting careers.
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