He grew up in poverty as the son of farmers, with his father also driving a cab in Nassau. Saw brief action in the Pacific Theater as a transport pilot. Jack Warden was born John Warden Lebzelter, Jr. on September 18, 1920 in Newark, New Jersey, to Laura M. (Costello) and John Warden Lebzelter. When World War II broke out, he joined the Coast Guard but was stationed at home in Brooklyn, New York, to perform at military shows. Awarded the Silver Star for Valor. But if called upon to portray a member of the Armed Forces on screen, many actors could draw from their own life experience. Really, that's how I got into comedy. Sistani, 80, is the reclusive top Shiite cleric in Iraq and one of the icons of the resistance to Saddam Hussein before the 2003 U.S. invasion. A native of Los Angeles, Morris played football at Los Angeles Junior College, then worked as a forest ranger. He entered the Marines in the 1950s for two years. Winters parlayed his talent into a long television career, which included a run on his own show, "The Jonathan Winters Show." He served as a four time US Olympic wrestling team alternate as a soldier in the U.S. Army, and is also a 6 time world heavyweight and light heavyweight UFC champion and Hall of Famer. Also served as a drill instructor. Born of Norwegian heritage (the family name, Aurness, had formerly been Aursness) in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Rolf and Ruth Duesler Aurness. "Bonanza" was the most popular TV series of the 1960s, ranked #1 for three straight seasons (1964-65 Army - Drafted into the United States Army and served in the Korean War. He graduated from Princeton with a history degree in 1954 and joined the Navy before giving acting a thought. All branches of the military, including the Coast Guard, are represented on the list, along with some actors from foreign countries. Parade reports that Brooks was drafted during World War II. second chance Charles Napier was born in the tiny community of Mt. via AP, file / EPA via REWARDS FOR JUSTICE, ISIS Becomes Richest Terror Group in the World, leader of the Sunni Muslim militant group Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, called Maliki a "good guy, a good man" in 2007, perceived lack of willingness to crack down on Shiite militias, Obama Calls on Iraqs Neighbors to Help Contain Terrorists, charged with running political death squads targeting Shiite officials, Its Their Fight: Iraq Veterans Voice Strong Opinions, Richard Engel: No Clear Military Options in Iraq, among the leading strategists and commanders. CBS News reports that the legendary comedian enlisted in 1954 as a means of using the GI Bill to pay for broadcasting school. One of the most distinguished talents in movie history, British actor Laurence Olivier was known for dazzling theater audiences in several of Shakespeare's plays before earning a spot on Hollywood's A-List with big-screen roles in movies like "Wuthering Heights" and "Marathon Man." A Professional theme for architects, construction and interior designers Sinbad was born in Benton Harbor, Michigan to two parents, Louise and the Baptist Rev. He had first-hand experience with the latter in real life. He has found it a constant American leading man famed as the star of one of the longest-running shows in U.S. television history, Gunsmoke (1955). He was born on his parents' 1000-acre ranch near Saugus, in the northwestern part of Los Angeles County, which is now next door Pat Hingle (real name: Martin Patterson Hingle) was born in Miami, Florida, the son of a building contractor. Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Justin Bieber ditches his shirt mid-party and more star snaps, Critics Choice Awards 2023: See the best celebrity looks, Lizzo gets low in a bikini and more star snaps, Cardi B rocks talon-like nails and more star snaps, 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved. From "Law & Order: SVU" to "New Jack City," pioneering West Coast rapper Ice-T joined the Army right out of high school as a means to support his daughter and girlfriend. Curtis himself admits that while he had almost no formal education, he was a student of the "school of hard knocks" and learned from a young age that the only Robert Montgomery was born Henry Montgomery Jr., the elder son of New York businessman Henry Montgomery and his wife, Mary Weed (Barney), a native of Brooklyn, Kings County, New York. It's not about war. He told Cigar Aficionado in 1995, "It was the loneliest, most depressing, frustrating time. The militant groups that gave rise to al-Qaeda in Iraq, ISIS and other anti-Shiite, anti-U.S. organizations spawned from the ashes of Hussein's Baath Party military and paramilitary. Life magazine reports that the King told the press, "I was in a funny position. Tora! WebThis is Aalto. Breaking that rule did him no harm, though, as he achieved pop cult status by finding, A marvelous character actor with intense eyes, a sly grin and somewhat grizzled appearance, Golden Globe-winner Fred Ward had nearly 90 appearances under his belt in many tremendous films and television programs. Brooks grew up poor in New York City's Brooklyn borough and enlisted in the Army right out of high school. He was born in Grand Island, Prematurely white-haired character star who began as a supporting player of generally vicious demeanor, then metamorphosed into a star of both action and drama projects, Lee Marvin was born in New York City, the son of Courtenay Washington (Davidge), a fashion writer, and Lamont Waltman Marvin, an Art Carney was an American actor with a lengthy career, but is primarily remembered for two roles. Brooks served as a corporal and a combat engineer, defusing land mines and making fun of Adolf Hitler the entire time. Talk show host Jack Paar once called the portly and groundbreaking comedian Jonathan Winters "pound for pound, the funniest man alive." I thought, 'Worse comes to worst, I know how to live. In 1957, history's most famous veteran joined the Army. (1980) --, was of French, German and Austrian descent, raised in a small Texas town and educated at a Catholic high school. As an actor, Savalas played several different sinister villains before landing the part that made him famous: no-nonsense New York City detective "Kojak.". Before he ever studied drama, however, Belafonte dropped out of high school to enlist in the Navy in 1944. The ISIS capture on Wednesday of Tikrit Hussein's hometown. At the start of World War II, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Marines and transferred to the CIA's precursor agency, the Office of Strategic Services, eventually earning the Silver Star for valor. Few child stars were as big as Jerry Mathers, who will be forever remembered in television history as the titular character on "Leave it to Beaver." He told "Entertainment Tonight," "When you get out of the Marine Corps, you feel like you can do anything. Moviefone reports Harvey Keitel left home at 16 to join the Marines. Like so many young people of his generation, Driver was swept up in patriotic fervor in the wake of 9/11. Combat engineers. He has been married to Beverley Osgoode since 2002. With reporting by Igor Bosilkovski, Emmy Lucas and Olivia Peluso; additional editing by Caroline Howard He combined both talents with directing in'The World's Greatest Ernest Borgnine was born Ermes Effron Borgnino on January 24, 1917 in Hamden, Connecticut. Essex. He got off to a rocky start in the Corps, making trouble and spending time in the brig, where he was punished with rations of bread and water. Kadi was born in Istanbul, Turkey, of Iraqi descent. He was the youngest of four sons in a family that had been in America since the 17th century.His first stint Steve Kanaly was born on March 14, 1946 in Burbank, California, USA. He told SiriusXM (via ABC News), "The Germans were frightened. Tony Curtis was born Bernard Schwartz, the eldest of three children of Helen (Klein) and Emanuel Schwartz, Jewish immigrants from Hungary. Among the most memorable was that of institutionalized inmate Brooks Hatlen in "The Shawshank Redemption." He was a disc jockey for an Army radio station. He later became the face of recruiting posters for the Guard. You may also like: Exploring minority representation in the biggest box office winners ever. "The Talk" star and comedian Sheryl Underwood told the Louisville Eccentric Observer, "I was in the Air Force Reserves for two years; I wanted that sort of discipline in my life, and I wanted to serve my country. In 1948, Elvis and his parents moved to Memphis, Tennessee where he attended Humes High School. A year after he enlisted, the Navy discovered his real age and discharged him. After attending college, he joined the Air Force National Guard. Were there any actors on special forces? what percentage of baby boomers are millionaires post oak hotel sunday brunch gator patch vs gator pave white sands footprints science. His mother was a Russian Jewish immigrant, while his paternal grandparents were Polish Jews. Some of history's biggest stars served their countries in times of war and peace. "I feel like there was a duty to go do it," Humphreys told CBS. Awarded the Silver Star and Purple Heart. That was part of why I went to re-audition for Juilliard. We had down time when we were playing war games, and one of the commanders said, 'Someone needs to entertain us.'". Neville Brand joined the Illinois National Guard in 1939, bent on a career in the military. Jimi Hendrix enlisted in the Army as a teen to avoid jail time for car theft, joining the 101st Airborne Division. During World War II, he saw combat on a Navy destroyer in the Pacific. One of the most important pioneering actors in early Hollywood, Buster Keaton's career spanned nearly half a century with credits dating from 1917 to 1966. It appeared to work as he has since starred WWII veteran, dance instructor and diversely talented stage & screen actor were all inclusions on the resume of this perpetually busy US actor who didn't get in front of the cameras until around the time of his fortieth birthday. A full tenth of Humphreys' brigade100 soldierswere killed in combat, according to CBS. champ told CBS News. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb. "It was in New Orleans I really learned how to sing", Jones told the Pittsburgh Press in 1969. From "Airplane" to "The Untouchables," Robert Stack played memorable roles on both the big and small screens. A native of New Jersey and son of a mechanic, African-American John Amos has relied on his imposing build, eruptive nature and strong, forceful looks to obtain acting jobs, and a serious desire for better roles to earn a satisfying place in the annals of film and TV. At the age of 16, the future Academy Award winner dropped out of school to join the Navy. Lugosi was acting prior to the war and continued to do so Elsewhere." He was responsible for drafting Iraqs constitution. But that wasn't the only horror he survived. Iraq has given birth to some great movie actors and actresses over the years, many of who have gone on to star in comedies, dramas, horror movies and more. When World War II broke out, his career was interrupted when he enlisted in the Coast Guard, where he served for three years. Stacker distribution partners receive a license to all Stacker stories, Participated on board ship in the mission that launched the Doolittle Raid. For his service, he earned a Presidential Citation Award and a Bronze Star. The Oscar winner is a brilliant actor and narrator who counts acclaimed films like "The Shawshank Redemption," "Driving Miss Daisy," and "Glory" among his critical and commercial successes. He was born in July 1938 in Bridgeport, CT, and attended Columbia University in New York City on a football scholarship. He was previously married to Diana Platt and Gavin MacLeod's pleasing, agreeable manner on two hit TV series in the 1970s and '80s belied a number of shady villains he portrayed in his early career. People were expecting me to mess up, to goof up in one way or another. Maliki, 63, has been prime minister of Iraq since 2006, having been a spokesman for the coalition of Shiite parties that won Iraq's 2005 elections. He had a sister, Gloria, and a brother, Dick Yarmy. His high intelligence got him assigned to a specialized unit; he was sent to the front in Europe and fought in heavy combat, including the Battle of the Bulge. Although known as the uncle/patriarch and judge "Philip Banks" on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990), James Avery was a classically trained actor and scholar. Wounded in action on Guadalcanal. You may also like: Most Emmy wins of all time. 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