All celebrities have a past. Some began their now-glamorous careers as waiters, while others started off working at fast food chains. But did you ever realize how many celebs actually served their country before reaching fame? Read on to discover which celebrities served in the military back in the day!
Mr. T
We know and love him from WWE, I Pity the Fool and Rocky III. Mr. T is a television personality, actor, bodyguard, and retired professional wrestler.
He did grow up in Chicago, so that partially explains how he got his bad-boy persona. This one may not come as a big surprise, but he also served in the military.
Born Leader
After high school, the tough actor majored in mathematics at Prairie View A&M University, but he was expelled after his first year. Shortly after, he enlisted in the United States Army and served in the Military Police Corps.
Mr. T excelled in the army. His drill sergeant awarded him a letter of recommendation and out of 6,000 soldiers as he was elected “Top Trainee of the Cycle.” He then was promoted to squad leader.
Drew Carey
Drew Carey is a beloved game show host and actor, known for The Drew Carey Show and the immensely successful American version of Whose Line Is It Anyway? More recently, he has been the host of The Price is Right.
But, surprisingly, the witty Carey did not do so well in college. He was a Delta Tau Delta at Kent State University for three years before being expelled for poor academic performance. That's when he decided to join the army.
Making His Fellow Soldiers Laugh
Carey enlisted into the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve in 1980 and served for no less than six years as a field radio operator in the 25th Marine Regiment in Ohio. When asked why he never mentions his time as a Marine more often, he replied that he didn’t want to hurt his image as a comedian.
Carey's got his iconic crewcut while he was serving and has kept it ever since. Another fun fact about him is that he actually didn't need corrective lenses when he first opted for the black-rimmed glasses, it was a fashion choice.
Willie Nelson
One of the most recognized artists in the country music genre is Willie Hugh Nelson. The singer, writer, and activist is an outspoken advocate for the legalization of marijuana. With his rebellious personal image, it may be hard to imagine him serving as a soldier, but he did.
Nelson actually traces his heritage to the American Revolutionary War, in which his ancestor John Nelson served as a major. So perhaps it does make sense that in 1950, he joined the military straight out of high school.
An Airforce Recruit
The celebrity musician enlisted in the US Air Force at the young age of 18, but his service didn't last very long - he was medically discharged after around nine months of service due to issues with his back.
After being discharged, Nelson pursued a number of odd temporary jobs, before finally realizing his true passion was music. It took him around twenty years before he finally reached success. Nowadays he is world famous for his tunes as well as his activism.
Bea Arthur
Although a majority of celebs with a military past are male, there are also a few female stars on our list. It may surprise you to find out that actress and comedian Beatrice "Bea" Arthur was in the military too!
The 21-year-old Arthur stated back then, “heard last week that enlistments for women in the Marines were open, so decided the only thing to do was to join.”
Staff Sergeant Bea
The Golden Girls actress decided to serve her country during World War II. She was a truck driver and typist for the U.S. Marine Corps Women's reserve.
She served for 30 months and received an honorable discharge in September 1944 with the rank of Staff Sergeant.
Clint Eastwood
Perhaps the army is where he honed his famous intimidating look! The Dirty Harry actor was drafted during the Korean War and trained at Ft. Ord in California.
Clint Eastwood is now known as a successful actor and director, but back in the day, he served as an on-base swimming instructor. He also made money on the side by working as a bouncer at the Army NCO club.
Good Swimmer
In a recent interview, Eastwood shared a particularly memorable experience he had during his service. One day, he caught a ride with a Navy plane on his way home to visit his family.
But the plane had engine trouble and made an emergency water landing, forcing Eastwood and the pilot to swim over a mile back to land. The actor described the experience as "stark terror". He also said he later discovered the crash site was a shark breeding area. Good thing he was a highly trained swimmer!
Gal Gadot
Actress, model, and mother of two Gal Gadot is not just a fierce fighter onscreen. She's one in real life too! Gadot is from Israel, where military service is mandatory for all men and women over the age of 18.
Gadot postponed her service due to a budding modeling career. And after winning the title of Miss Israel in the 2004 beauty pageant, she joined the army at the age of 20.
Wonder Woman In The IDF
Gadot served as a combat trainer for two years. She served during the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah War, a 34-day conflict in Lebanon and northern Israel.
She revealed in an interview that the demanding physical training she underwent prior to filming Wonder Woman was nothing compared to what she experienced as a soldier. She has also said that the military prepared her for life as a Hollywood actress.
Rob Riggle
This one might come as quite a surprise. Not only did Rob Riggle serve in the Marine Corps, but he was also still in active duty up until 2013!
That means that while he was making us laugh on Saturday Night Live and acting in movies, he was first and foremost a Marine.
23 Years Of Honorable Service
Riggle joined the military in the 1990s and served in Liberia, Kosovo, and Afghanistan. He was a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Marine Corps Reserve before becoming a public affairs officer in the NYC unit.
He even traveled to Iraq as a documenter and entertainer while working as a correspondent on the Daily Show. He made the troops as well as the American public laugh while completing a long and meaningful service of 23 years.
Prince Harry
Mr. Meghan Markle, also known as Prince Harry, has always captured the public attention for his fun-loving nature and scandalous tabloid exposés. More recently, he has been making headlines for his marriage to Meghan Markle and their shared family life.
But the sixth in line for the British throne is also known and celebrated for his lengthy career in the British army, along with his brother, Prince William.
Royal Recruit
Prince Harry completed officer training at the British Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in 2006, before being deployed to Iraq and later Afghanistan. It was later decided that he was too much of a high profile target to join the ranks on the front lines.
In 2015, Princess Diana's youngest son decided to officially leave the army. Overall, the prince has served in the Army for ten years and rose to the rank of Captain. He continues to work in support of his fellow servicemen, promoting support for the wounded as they adapt to the veteran life.
Hugh Hefner
You may know Hugh Hefner as the Playboy magazine founder turned millionaire, but Hefner actually began his career with military service during World War II.
The iconic Hefner look consists of a smoking jacket, a pipe, and Playboy Bunnies on each arm. Yet the magnate used to wear a military uniform once upon a time.
From Soldier To Playboy
Right after graduating high school in 1944, Hugh decided to enlist in the army and ended up serving for 2 years. He describes his time in the army as defining and life-changing, and we can see why.
He worked as an infantry clerk and writer for a military newspaper, where his love affair with publishing began. He was praised for his writing talent and known for his many beloved cartoon contributions to the paper. So that's where it all began, who would have thought!
Arnold Schwarzenegger
The former California governor and iconic acting veteran is also a military veteran, as it turns out. Arnold Schwarzenegger was born and raised in Austria, where serving in the army was a requirement for all Austrian men over 18 years old.
The Terminator actor served in the Austrian military for a year and a half, as per the national conscription requirements. He started his service in 1965.
Sneaky Sneaky
During his service, the Junior Mr. Europe contest was going on, and Schwarzenegger was desperate to participate. And so he decided to sneak off base and attended the competition, which of course he won.
He did have to spend a week in military prison for disappearing like that. Speaking of the incident, the actor has said, “Participating in the competition meant so much to me that I didn’t carefully think through the consequences.”
Mel Brooks
You may not know that Mel Brooks' real name is actually Melvin Kaminsky. And back in the day, he was known as Corporal Kaminsky. He was in fact only 17 years old when he enlisted, right after his high school graduation.
Brooks was raised in a tough Brooklyn neighborhood and grew up quite poor. He left home after high school to join the military ranks during a time of war - an unlikely preparation for his career in comedy.
'Isn't That Ridiculous?'
Brooks enrolled into the 1104 Engineer Combat Battalion, upon completion of a specialized training program at Virginia Military Institute. There, he served during World War II.
During Brooks' two years on the field, his main task was to diffuse the enemy's landmines. He once said, “I was a Combat Engineer. Isn’t that ridiculous? The two things I hate most in the world are combat and engineering.”
Jimi Hendrix
When we think of the military, we often associate it with strict rules and discipline. It's almost impossible, then, to imagine legendary musician Jimi Hendrix conforming in such an environment.
Indeed, the young Hendrix was known around the base for being quite the unfocused soldier, spending way too much time strumming away on his guitar.
Jamming On Base
It all began when Hendrix was 19 years old and was caught driving stolen cars. The musician was given two choices upon his arrest - he could either go to prison or join the army.
He enlisted in 1961 and was sent to the 101st Airborne Division in Kentucky. It was obvious to everyone around, including the famed rock and roller, that a military career was not for him. He was eventually honorably discharged due to unsuitability.
Tom Selleck
Although you probably know him as Dr. Richard Burke, the eye doctor from Friends. Or maybe you recognize him from Magnum, P.I., where he played the eponymous private investigator Thomas Magnum.
But in real life, actor Tom Selleck is also a military veteran! Selleck was issued his draft orders during the Vietnam War. In order to take some control over the situation, he decided to join the California National Guard in the 160th infantry regiment, where he served from 1967 to 1973.
Proud Veteran
Selleck considers the army a defining chapter in his life, and speaks of his service with pride, "I am a veteran, I'm proud of it," he said. "I was a sergeant in the U.S. Army infantry, National Guard, Vietnam era. We're all brothers and sisters in that sense."
During his service, he was part of the national guard troops that were summoned to control the Watts riots that broke out in Los Angeles in 1965. Nowadays, Selleck continues to be involved with military affairs and is a spokesperson for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund.
Leonard Nimoy
Before Leonard Nimoy scored his career-defining role as Spock in the Star Trek franchise, the actor was serving in the army from 1935 to 1955.
Due to a fire that broke up in 1973, his personal records were destroyed, but a number of things are still known about his service. He enlisted in the United States Army Reserve at Fort McPherson, Georgia, when he was 22.
Live Long And Prosper
He stayed there and served for 18 months and during his service, he worked with the Army Special Service and put on shows for the troops. Eventually, he was discharged as a sergeant.
While he was leading a platoon, he happened to be in charge of actor Ken Berry. Berry shared with Nimoy that he had ambitions to dance and perform, and Nimoy was a big source of support for him. Their friendship inspired Berry to pursue his dreams once he left the military.
MC Hammer
MC Hammer, born Stanley Kirk Burrell, was at a crossroad after dropping out of a local college and failing to win a place in a professional baseball organization. He revealed that at that crucial point in his life, he was tempted to become a drug dealer.
Instead, he chose to join the Navy, where he served during the 1980s. He enlisted and served with Patron Four Seven of NAS Moffett Field in Mountain View, CA.
This Is The Way We Roll
The future rapper was a Petty Officer Third Class Aviation Store Keeper and after 3 years, he was honorably discharged.
Hammer later became a mega-success in the music industry. He's easily one of the most memorable rappers and dancers of the early 90s. Nowadays he lives in California's Bay Area and lives his life out of the public eye.
Jamie Farr
Jamie Farr is the actor who played Maxwell Klinger on the beloved war comedy-drama show M*A*S*H that aired on CBS from 1972 to 1983. In fact, Farr starred in the TV show about the Korean War while he also spent time in Korea while in the Army.
He even wore his very own dog tag on the show! Shortly after landing his very first film role, he was drafted into the United States Army, where he trained with the 6th Infantry Division Fort Ord, California.
M*A*S*H Veterans
In the two years Jamie Farr served in the Army, he did tours in both Japan and Korea. Surely his time serving his country affected and shaped his comedic outlook and contributed to the success of M*A*S*H.
In fact, he wasn't the only M*A*S*H actor with a military past. Alan Alda, too, was sent to Korea. Alda shared, They had designs of making me into an officer but, uh … it didn’t go so well. I was in charge of a mess tent. Some of that made it into the show [M*A*S*H].”
Ice-T
Tracy Marrow, or as we all know him, Ice-T, definitely has a tough guy persona on Law and Order: SVU, where he plays Detective Tutuola. Perhaps he developed his badass antics while serving in the military.
Or perhaps it was the fact he sold drugs on the streets in LA while he was a teenager and stole car radios to make some money.
New Jack Hustler
But the rapper resolved to turn his life around after his daughter was born, and to do so he enlisted in the army shortly after finishing high school.
Indeed, the beloved rapper had humble beginnings serving in the 25th Infantry Division in Hawaii, from 1979 to 1983.
Bob Ross
The iconic art master Bob Ross is known for the joy he brought to many people's lives with his inspiring televised painting lessons.
His world was eventually filled with happy clouds, secret trees, and accidental bushes. But once upon a time, the beloved art instructor was yelling at troops! It's quite hard to imagine, but it's true.
From Sergeant To Serene
Ross shared, "I was the guy who makes you scrub the latrine, the guy who makes you make your bed, the guy who screams at you for being late to work."
"The job requires you to be a mean, tough person. And I was fed up with it. I promised myself that if I ever got away from it, it wasn't going to be that way anymore," he elaborated. And indeed, Ross became the soft-spoken, zen artist we know and love.
Sammy Davis Jr.
Legendary singer and dancer Sammy Davis Jr. actually first encountered severe racism and prejudice when he was drafted into the army at eighteen, and unfortunately, he did not have a positive experience serving.
Davis suffered abuse by his fellow soldiers and was eventually transferred to an entertainment regiment. He found himself singing and dancing in front of the very soldiers that have once painted the word "coon" on his forehead.
Entertainer In Uniform
He served in the army during World War II and described his experience as follows, "Overnight the world looked different. It wasn’t one color anymore…I appreciated their loving hope that I’d never need to know about prejudice and hate, but they were wrong.”
As it turns out, Davis lived quite a happy sheltered life up until he drafted and the negative army experience came as quite a shock. But there, he also got to elevate his performance skills and signed a recording contract shortly after being discharged.
J.R.R. Tolkien
J.R.R. Tolkien was of eligible age for conscription during World War I, but he delayed entering military service for as long as possible. He even entered a special program that allowed him to finish his degree and defer enlistment.
This move was contrary to social norms at the time and he was judged by his family and peers. But eventually, Tolkien drafted and after completing a short training track, he was sent off to France.
In Battle
The world-renowned fantasy author participated in the historical Battle of the Somme and sadly, most of his battalion never made it back home.
While in the trenches, Tolkien suffered multiple health issues, including a disease called 'trench fever'. Due to this, he was sent back home, and so the disease probably saved his life in the end. Surely, his time spent at war informed much of his writing in The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings.
Elvis Presley
Not only did the King serve in the army, he actually served at the very height of his career! Yes, celebrities aren't immune from receiving draft notices. And in 1957, shortly after performing his last concert on the Ed Sullivan Show, Presley received his.
Did you know that there's an entire Wikipedia page dedicated exclusively to Elvis Presley's military career? That's right. The King served in the United States Army for two years, from 1958 to 1960.
It's Now Or Never
He served in the 3rd Armored Division and was definitely the most famous soldier in the army at the time. The humble musician has said in an interview that, “The army can do anything it wants with me. Millions of other guys have been drafted, and I don’t want to be different from anyone else.”
During his service, Presley went through many life-changing events. His mother died of a heart attack at the age of 42. He also met his future wife Priscilla Beaulieu while he was stationed in West Germany. It was around this time that he became addicted to stimulants which eventually led to his tragic death in 1977.
Harrison Ford
One of Hollywood's most beloved actors is Harrison Ford. He will always be remembered and appreciated for his roles as Han Solo and Indiana Jones.
But the actor should also be recognized for his contribution to some military missions, even though he wasn't directly part of the armed forces.
A Helpful Adventurer
One of Ford's key interests is aviation, and he even has a pilot's license. He pilots helicopters and small planes and often assists with rescue missions carried out by local authorities.
Oftentimes, these missions involve locating lost hikers. One of the rescued hikers quipped, “I can’t believe I barfed in Harrison Ford’s helicopter!”
Johnny Carson
The ever-entertaining Johnny Carson surely made his fellow troops laugh aboard their Navy ship. Carson joined the United States Navy in 1943.
Upon completion of his basic training, the future TV show host was sent to the USS Pennsylvania, which was stationed in the Pacific. It was one of the battleships headed to the combat zone, and Carson served there as a midshipman.
Always The Entertainer
But then, before the ship's arrival, the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki brought the war to an end. When the war ended, he was promoted and became a communications officer tasked with decoding encrypted messages.
The highlight of Carson's military career, according to him, was when he met the United States Secretary of the Navy James V. Forrestal and performed a magic trick for him. Always the entertainer!
Pat Tillman
While many of the celebrities featured here have left the army and went on to pursue a glamorous career, this guy did just the opposite. Pat Tillman was offered a $3.6 million contract from the Arizona Cardinals in 2002 but turned it down and enlisted instead!
The decision was one he made along with his brother, who had similarly turned down a chance to play basketball with the Cleveland Indians. Tillman served multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan and was tragically killed during active duty.
Controversial Cover Up
Though the official story was that he was shot by enemy forces during an ambush, it was later revealed that he was probably killed by friendly fire. Since he was such a high profile recruit, his Army commanders and members of the Bush administration felt they should cover up the truth of what had really happened.
His legacy is memorialized by the Pat Tillman Foundation, which empowers military veterans and spouses and encourages them to pursue careers of public and private sector leaders committed to service and change.
Adam Driver
You may recognize him from the popular HBO show Girls or perhaps you've seen him play Kylo Ren in the recent installments of Star Wars. Either way, Adam Driver is a young actor on the rise.
But before pursuing an acting career, Driver was actually a patriotic recruit. He joined the U.S. Marine Corps at the age of 18, inspired to protect his country after 9/11.
The Intersection Between Arts And Service
Driver served in the Marines' Weapons Company, 1st Battalion, 1st Marines where he was an 81mm mortarman. He served for 32 months but was eventually medically discharged due to a sternum injury.
Even though he was discharged, Driver still cares very much about the military and is, in fact, the founder of Arts in the Armed Forces, a non-profit that brings high-quality arts programming to active duty service members, veterans, military support staff and their families around the world free of charge. An inspiring mission.