Celebrity Veterans: Stars Who Served in the Military See all the major Hollywood stars who served their country By Alexis Chestnov and Christina Butan Christina Butan Instagram Christina Butan has been working in media since she graduated SUNY Purchase in 2017 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and the Peter Keller Journalism Prize.She started out as an editorial assistant and news writer for PEOPLE, and then joined the Dotdash Meredith commerce team as an Amazon writer in 2019.She quickly became well-versed in commerce content and worked her way up to becoming a Senior Commerce Writer and Strategist for InStyle, where she pitches, writes, assigns, and edits stories covering celebrity style, beauty trends, editor’s picks, and more.
People Editorial Guidelines Updated on November 10, 2022 05:29 PM Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos 01 of 26 Betty White U.S.Army/Twitter; getty The late Golden Girls star was recognized by the U.S.Army for her service after her passing on Dec.31, 2021 .
“Not only was she an amazing actress, she also served during WWII as a member of the American Women’s Voluntary Services.
A true legend on and off the screen,” they wrote on Twitter .The U.S.
Naval Institute further clarified that she “drove a supply truck” during her time in the military.
02 of 26 Bob Barker US Naval Institute/Twitter; Jesse Grant/WireImage The Price Is Right host served as a naval aviator during World War II.In his autobiography Priceless Memories, Barker described his time in the military by writing , “I was a Naval Aviator, a Fighter Pilot.I completed all facets of my training, including my qualifying landings on a carrier.I was all ready to go, and when the enemy heard that I was headed for the Pacific, they surrendered.That was the end of World War II.”
03 of 26 Drew Carey US Naval Institute/Twitter; Sonja Flemming/CBS via Getty Barker’s successor on The Price Is Right also was a military man, having served in the Marine Corps from 1980 to 1986, before beginning his career in comedy.Though he is now a self-described “peacenik,” according to an interview with U.S.Veterans Magazine , he has tremendous respect for the military: “I believe it’s important for us to always recognize the sacrifices it takes to serve in our military, and how necessary they are… We need to recognize and applaud people in our military who do their jobs well, and with honor.Period.”
04 of 26 Blippi Stevin John/Instagram; Blippi/Instagram Yes, your kids’ favorite YouTube personality (real name: Stevin John) served in the U.S.
Air Force before trading one uniform for another.”15 years ago! Happy Veterans Day to all my fellow Vets 🇺🇸 ! C-17 Loadmaster ✈️,” he captioned this throwback phot o on Veterans Day in 2021.
05 of 26 Bea Arthur Everett The famed Golden Girls star was a typist and truck driver in the Marine Corps for two years beginning in 1943.She was also one of the first members of the Women’s Reserve, and after being discharged in 1945, married Marine Private Robert Arthur before eventually embarking on a storied career in show business.
06 of 26 Tom Selleck Getty Perhaps Selleck’s keen ability to portray former Navy SEAL Thomas Magnum in Magnum P.I.stemmed from his own time in the military.He served as a soldier in the California Army National Guard from 1967 to 1973 .
07 of 26 Morgan Freeman ABC/Getty The Oscar winner with the iconic voice was intrigued by war films growing up, which inspired him to join the Air Force in 1955.He served as a radar technician, and, realizing that flying in the Air Force was not for him, left the military almost four years later.The actor would eventually return to duty on film: Freeman starred in the acclaimed 1989 Civil War drama Glory .
08 of 26 Hugh Hefner David Gabber/PR Photos Although it’s hard to picture the late Hefner as anything but the iconic impresario behind the Playboy empire, he served as an infantry clerk in the Army after high school.He was discharged two years later in 1946.
09 of 26 Adam Driver Sylvain Gaboury/Patrick McMullan via Getty Before his acting days, 17-year-old Driver joined the Marines shortly after the Sept.
11, 2001, attacks.
“I joined … feeling like I think most people in the country did at the time, filled with a sense of patriotism and retribution and the desire to do something,” he said in a TED Talk .”That, coupled with that fact that I wasn’t doing anything.”
The Star Wars and Girls actor “loved” being in the Marines, but was medically discharged after two years of service.(You can see his Marine Corps portrait at 1:43 in this clip from The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.)
10 of 26 Prince Harry Matt Cardy/Getty Prince Harry served in the Army for 10 years and took on two tours in Afghanistan.Following his years of service, he dedicated his time to helping wounded servicemen and women with the creation of The Invictus Games , an international sporting event for wounded, injured and sick veterans.
Recently, Prince Harry discussed the isolation service members often feel when returning home, and stressed the importance of supporting veterans at the 2021 Salute to Freedom gala .
“My experience in the military made me who I am today, and I will always be grateful for the people I got to serve with — wherever in the world we were,” said Harry, adding that he created the Invictus Games “to honor the legacy of those who have given so much” as well as to show “that the men and women who have experienced service injuries, as well as their families, are the strongest people in the world…and they deserve a platform to be seen, a platform to be recognized, and a platform to be truly celebrated.”
11 of 26 Mel Brooks At the outset of World War II Brooks joined the Army Specialized Training Reserve program at the Virginia Military Institute before going to basic training at Fort Sill.
He served overseas at the end of the war in various duties, but his talent for performing was apparent and he was asked to join a touring variety show to entertain the troops in the Army camps still stationed in Europe.
12 of 26 Tony Bennett TonyBennett.com; Virginia Sherwood/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty The legendary singer was drafted into the army during World War II, serving in Germany and France.Bennett returned to the U.S.two years later in 1946 after being discharged, and went on to study at the American Theater Wing.
13 of 26 Rob Riggle The actor and comedian joined the Marines as a pilot in 1990 and served for 23 years before retiring in 2013.
“I was an undergrad a the University of Kansas, and I had my pilot’s license … I was also a theater and film major.So I either was going to be Top Gun when I graduated or I was gonna be a waiter.
And I thought being Top Gun sounded much sexier, much cooler,” Riggle told CBS News .
14 of 26 Johnny Cash USAF; Scott Gries/ImageDirect/Getty After graduating from high school in 1950, the country superstar enlisted in the Air Force.While stationed in Germany, where he served as an intelligence-service radioman, he wrote the lyrics for the song that would become his signature, “Folsom Prison Blues.”
15 of 26 Clint Eastwood Alberto E.Rodriguez/Getty The legendary actor and Oscar-winning filmmaker served in the Army before kicking up a celebrated career in Hollywood.Drafted during the Korean War, he trained at Fort Ord in California.There, he landed a job as a swimming teacher, and was eventually discharged in 1953.
16 of 26 Elvis Presley Getty (2) The one and only King of Rock and Roll was drafted into the Army in 1957.He eventually rose to the rank of sergeant, and was discharged in 1960.It was during his time in the Army when he met Priscilla Beaulieu, the woman who would one day become his wife.
17 of 26 Ice-T Theo Wargo/NBC Ice-T joined the Army’s 25th Infantry Division after high school.After being deployed to Hawaii and serving four years, he moved to California, eventually launching a career as a hitmaking rapper before moving into film and television, including the long-running series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit .
18 of 26 Robin Quivers Getty The Howard Stern Show cohost served her country from 1975 to 1978 .
After graduating with a nursing degree, she worked as a nurse in the Air Force, rising to the rank of captain.The radio personality, who is a cancer survivor and has spoken openly about her battle with the disease, published an autobiography in 1995.
19 of 26 Jimi Hendrix Redferns/Getty When the future rock legend enlisted in the Army in 1961, it was something of a forced choice.After being caught up in a case involving a stolen car, Hendrix was given the option of prison time or joining the Army.He opted for the latter and served in the 101st Airborne Division.Hendrix was far from a model soldier though, reportedly falling asleep on duty, and he was discharged in 1962 following an injury.
20 of 26 Humphrey Bogart Everett The screen legend, who memorably helped guide Katharine Hepburn through troubled waters in The African Queen , joined the Navy during World War I.As a sailor, he spent much of his time ferrying troops between Europe and the U.S.
21 of 26 Chuck Norris Chuck Norris.Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic The Expendables 2 star served as an air policeman in the Air Force after high school.During his four-year military career, which ended in 1962, he was sent to the Osan Air Base in South Korea, where he reportedly began training in martial arts — a passion that would later become his trademark as an action star.
Norris was made an honorary United States Marine in 2007.
22 of 26 Jimmy Stewart Getty Before starring in soon-to-be-classic films like It’s a Wonderful Life and Vertigo , Stewart enlisted in the U.S.Army in 1941.The first time he was drafted, he was rejected for being underweight , but after putting on some pounds, he joined the Air Corps.
23 of 26 James Earl Jones Petre Buzoianu/Keystone/ZUMA The iconic screen and stage star — who was the booming voice behind Darth Vader in Star Wars as well as Mufasa in The Lion King — joined the Army right after college.He was eventually promoted to first lieutenant , and was a member of the 75th Rangers Regime.
24 of 26 J.R.Martinez J.R.Martinez.
courtesy Veterans United Home Loans The All My Children actor and Dancing with the Stars season 13 champ was serving in the U.S.Army in Iraq in 2003, when the Humvee he was driving in Iraq hit a land mine.
He was burned over 40 percent of his body and required 34 months of grueling rehab – but he went on to gain fame.
“My life would not be what it is today: full of joy, happiness and positivity,” he told PEOPLE about taking an optimistic outlook on the explosion .”I’m being blessed in so many ways, and it’s because of the energy I’m putting out in the world.”
25 of 26 David Alvarez David Alvarez/Instagram; Roy Rochlin/Getty The actor, who makes his big screen debut as Bernardo in West Side Story , was one of the youngest actors ever to win a Tony when he was one of the three preteen leads of Billy Elliot the Musical.After graduating high school, he joined the army and served several years before returning to Broadway in On the Town; then he got cast in the highly-anticipated movie musical.
Alvarez told the New York Times his dance background prepared him for how tough the Army would be: “When I did basic training, I always thought, this is hard but it’s not Billy Elliot hard.”
26 of 26 Jackie Robinson Afro American Newspapers/Gado/Getty Groundbreaking baseball star Robinson served in the Army during World War II, though was honorably discharged, according to his foundation , for refusing to move to the back of a segregated military bus — one of his many acts for racial justice in his lifetime.
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