Hollywood stars are often associated with glitz, glamour, and the spotlight. However, some actors went to serve their country before they became famous. These celebrities made a completely different choice to serve in the military. They were molded by the battlefield and the harsh training of the boot camp, and in numerous instances, these experiences even led them to choose acting as a career. Here is a list of ten actors who have been in the military, and their service should be acknowledged and respected.
10. George Cantero
Before he was seen in Apocalypse Now, George Cantero had a life that was quite different from the one he is known for as a soldier. Being brought up in a family of the military, he went to serve in Vietnam and then came back to the world of acting. Cantero frequently attributed the discipline and the toughness that he got through his service, not only to the development of his career, but also to his deep, rooted sense of obligation to the veteran community in Hollywood. He has been able to demonstrate, through the support of the likes of Veterans in Media & Entertainment, how the experience on the warfront can be a rich source for the creation of impactful narratives.
9. Ernie Lively
Best recognized as Blake Lively’s father, Ernie Lively initially donned the uniform of an officer in the Marine Corps during the Vietnam War. After exiting service as a Captain, he went on to do decades of steady TV and film acting work, as well as becoming a widely respected acting coach. Several younger stars attributed their careers to him—testimony that the leadership and discipline he developed in the Marines carried over wonderfully well to Hollywood.
8. Richard Chaves
Richard Chaves will be remembered by Predator fans as Staff Sgt. Jorge “Poncho” Ramírez, but before Hollywood, he served as an infantryman in Vietnam. With the 196th Infantry Brigade, Chaves had three years of service with the Army before moving onto stage and screen. His realism as a soldier thrilled naturally—his performances had the gravitas of a man who’d lived the life.
7. R. Lee Ermey
Few actors embodied military toughness like R. Lee Ermey—and for good reason. Ermey spent more than a decade in the Marine Corps, including 14 months in Vietnam, before a medical discharge ended his service. He was originally hired as a technical advisor for Full Metal Jacket, but his no-nonsense attitude and genuine drill instructor presence landed him the iconic role of Gunnery Sgt. Hartman. Even after his Hollywood breakthrough, Ermey never stopped advocating for veterans and honoring the Corps.
6. Adam Driver
Before he wielded a lightsaber as Kylo Ren, Adam Driver wielded a rifle as a Marine. Inspired by the atrocities of 9/11, Driver enlisted in the Corps and became trained as an 81mm mortarman. A wound kept him from deploying, but he’s long praised the discipline and sense of mission the Marines provided him—abilities that transferred directly into his ferocious, nuanced work on camera.
5. James Stewart
Jimmy Stewart was not only America’s everyman—he was also an honored war hero. Enlisting in the Army Air Corps before America entered World War II, he piloted hazardous bombing runs over Europe and later remained a member of the Air Force Reserves. Stewart finally retired at the rank of brigadier general, the highest rank attained by a Hollywood star. His military command in real life lent authority to his screen appearances that audiences intuited from the start.
4. Clark Gable
Hollywood royalty Clark Gable volunteered after the devastating loss of his wife, Carole Lombard, who died in a wartime plane crash. Suspending his film career, Gable trained as a gunner and flew over Europe with B-17 bomber crews, surviving near misses in combat even. Beyond his stardom, he recorded aerial missions for the military, leaving both cinema and first-hand reports of the air war behind.
3. Bea Arthur
In between becoming a sitcom icon on The Golden Girls, Bea Arthur fought for her country during World War II as part of the U.S. Marine Corps Women’s Reserve. She typed, drove, and dispatched, rising to staff sergeant. When women in uniform were still trying to break barriers, Arthur’s service was trailblazing—and that sassy wit and commanding screen presence was a testament to that no-nonsense attitude.
2. Elvis Presley
The King of Rock and Roll did not dodge the draft—he welcomed it. When Presley enlisted in the Army in 1958, he went into service as an ordinary grunt, not in some soft PR position. Assigned to duty in Germany with an armored division, he did his time along with his comrades. His choice earned him respect well beyond his music public, demonstrating he was not only a cultural icon but also a soldier who was willing to serve just like everyone else.
1. Oliver Stone
Oliver Stone’s experience in Vietnam branded him—and inspired him. Volunteering for combat in 1967, he battled on the Cambodian border, survived ambushes, and was wounded twice, receiving both the Purple Heart and Bronze Star. What he experienced gave fuel to his filmmaking, resulting in his iconic Vietnam War trilogy (Platoon, Born on the Fourth of July, Heaven & Earth). Stone didn’t merely direct war movies; he rendered his lived experience into some of the rawest accounts of combat seen in cinema.
From backlot to battlefield, these actors demonstrate that the discipline, resilience, and courage developed during military service don’t vanish when the uniform is shed. In subdued supporting roles or iconic roles, their military service influenced how they spoke through their characters—and the way we recall them.