10 Celebrities Who Are Veterans of the U.S. Military

First up on our list of celebrities who are veterans is Mel Brooks. Before he became such a comedy icon, he served his country in World War II.

As a senior in high school, Brooks was recruited to take the Army General Classification Test and after receiving high scores went to the Army Specialized Training Program at the Virginia Military Institute. Here, he learned electrical engineering, horse riding, and saber fighting.

Later, in 1944, Brooks was drafted into the Army. Here, he was a combat engineer, defusing landmines, clearing paths for advancing Allied troops across Europe. He even fought in the Battle of the Bulge.

When he returned home, he traded his combat boots for a career in entertainment, going on to create classics like Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, and Spaceballs. But before all the Hollywood success and laughter, he was just another young soldier serving his country.

Next on our list of celebrities who are veterans is Bob Ross. Better known as the gentle painter who soothed millions on PBS also spent time in the Air Force.

In 1961, 18-year-old Ross enlisted in the United States Air Force as a medical records technician. Between shifts, he set up an easel and paint the snow-capped mountains and evergreens surrounding the base.

The military also changed Ross in unexpected ways. After spending decades screaming at troops, he swore he’d never raise his voice again once he left the service. That’s how the soft-spoken artist we all know was born.

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Another celebrity veteran is Adam Driver, who joined the Marine Corps at age 18, shortly after the September 11th attacks. He was in the 1st Battalion, 1st Marines, where he spent nearly three years training with his unit.

Just before his unit was set to deploy to Iraq, Driver broke his sternum in a mountain biking accident. Despite his attempts to stay in, the injury ultimately led to a medical discharge from the Marines.

After leaving the service, Driver studied acting at Juilliard. He later landed major roles in Star Wars as Kylo Ren and earned Oscar nominations for Marriage Story and BlacKkKlansman. Like many of these celebrities who are veterans, Driver often mentions how his Marine Corps training helped prepare him for his acting career, too.

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Before he was a famous tough guy in movies like Missing in Action and Walker, Texas Ranger, Chuck Norris was a regular airman in the U.S. Air Force. In 1958, he served as an Air Policeman (what we now call Security Forces). That’s actually where he got his famous nickname, born Carlos Ray Norris, but his fellow airmen started calling him “Chuck,” and it stuck.

During his time in the military service, he discovered martial arts. While stationed in Korea, Norris began studying Tang Soo Do during his free time. He fell in love with it, earning his first black belt, and finding what would become his life’s passion. After leaving the Air Force in 1962, he opened his own martial arts school. He taught celebrities like Steve McQueen, which eventually led to his break in Hollywood.

Clint Eastwood served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, though his military experience was far from the action-packed roles he’d later play on screen. Drafted in 1951, he was stationed at Fort Ord in California as a swimming instructor.

During his time there, he caught some lucky breaks that truly shaped his future career. When fellow soldiers at Fort Ord noticed his good looks and height, they suggested he try meeting with casting directors in Los Angeles. Eastwood even managed to make some Hollywood connections while serving.

Until 1953, he held this comfy assignment and was discharged the same year, landing his first screen test with Universal Studios. The rest, as they say, was history. He starred in the TV series Rawhide and Dirty Harry. While those two years might not have been filled with combat, they set the stage for his legendary career.

Before her iconic role on The Golden Girls, Bea Arthur broke barriers as one of the first women to join the United States Marine Corps Women’s Reserve. In 1943, at just 21 years old, she enlisted and served as a truck driver and typist in Virginia and North Carolina.

During her two-and-a-half years of service, she even rose to the rank of Staff Sergeant. She also worked as a dispatcher, handling confidential military information. After her discharge in 1945, Arthur used her GI Bill benefits to launch her acting studies at The New School, eventually leading to her iconic roles in Maude and The Golden Girls.

Also, notably, her military service remained relatively unknown until after she died in 2009, revealing yet another fascinating layer to her life story.

Next, after receiving a draft notice during the Vietnam War, Tom Selleck joined the California National Guard in 1967. He served in the 160th Infantry Regiment. Selleck completed his six-year commitment, rising to the rank of Sergeant.

After finding fame in Magnum, P.I., he returned to his military roots by narrating recruitment ads for the National Guard in the 80s. His military background also later helped him nail roles like the veteran investigator in Blue Bloods.

Elvis Presley was already one of the biggest stars in the world when he got drafted in 1958. Despite being famous enough to avoid regular service, he chose to serve as a regular soldier. He even turned down the Army’s offer to perform for troops instead.

The Army sent Elvis to Germany, where he served in the 3rd Armored Division learning to operate tanks. He lived in regular barracks and had the same duties as other soldiers, earning respect for not asking for special treatment. During his time overseas, he actually even met Priscilla Beaulieu, the teenager who later became his wife.

After finishing his service in 1960, Elvis went right back to his music career. His first post-Army singles like “Stuck on You” went straight to the top of the charts, proving two years in the service hadn’t dimmed his star power one bit.

Another contender on our list of celebrities who are veterans is Morgan Freeman. Before he won over audiences with his distinctive voice and screen presence, Freeman was actually an Automatic Tracking Radar repairman in the United States Air Force from 1955 to 1959. He even rose to the rank of Airman First Class.

Initially, Freeman dreamed of being a fighter pilot, having been fascinated with movies about World War II aircraft. He graduated high school, but turned down a partial drama scholarship from Jackson State University, opting instead to enlist in the United States Air Force, where he worked as a radar technician and mechanic. However, once he finally got the chance to sit in a fighter jet’s cockpit, he realized that his true passion was for acting.

Then, Freeman left and pursued his acting career. The discipline and focus he learned in the military served him well as he worked his way up from small theater productions to become one of Hollywood’s most respected actors. Interestingly, he later drew on his military experiences when portraying military characters in films like Glory and Outbreak.

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Capping our list of celebrities who are veterans is Bob Barker, the legendary host of The Price is Right. Barker joined the United States Navy Reserve in 1943 during World War II to train as a fighter pilot.

While the war ended before he served, his time in Naval aviation wasn’t wasted. That precision and quick thinking was invaluable in his acting career. And while he never did actually drop real bombs in combat, he certainly dropped plenty of prizes on contestants over his 50-year broadcasting career.