It’s not uncommon for actors to portray military personnel in movies and TV shows, from captains to soldiers, snipers to translators, and more. Butmany actors actually served in the military in real life, too. Some are humble, rarely bringing up their prior service unless asked. Others are well-known for their work prior to acting, and with others, fans might not even realize that a valiant duty for their country is on their resume.
Interestingly, many of the actors with a military background have played, or continue to play, military personnel or persons of authority, like law enforcement. When it comes to art imitating life, fans might be surprised to know of some of the actors who fall into this category.These actors are experienced in matters of the military, adding a layer of realism to their unforgettable performances.
10R. Lee Ermey - United States Marine Corps
Best Known for ‘Full Metal Jacket’ (1987)
R. Lee Ermeyearned praise for his role as the abusive drill instructor Gunnery Sergeant Hartman inthe acclaimed war dramaFull Metal Jacket. In fact, this movie is the one that put the actor on the map in Hollywood, earning him a Golden Globe nomination.Ermey likely drew on his experience in the United States Marine Corpsas a staff sergeant and honorary gunnery sergeant for the role.
Typecast through much of his career in roles that were often authoritarian figures, the late Ermey, who passed away in 2018 at the age of 74, enlisted when he was just 17 years old. Ermey toldThe First Shot CMP Online Magazinethat he ended up in the military after landing in court a handful of times for juvenile mischief. A judge told him he either joined the military or he was going to send him “where the sun never shines.” He attempted to follow in his father’s footsteps and join the Navy, but his record made that difficult. Instead, he spent 11 years in the Marine Corps, rising to staff sergeant until he retired due to injuries. “My father,” he recalled, “was more of a disciplinarian than any drill instructor down there that I knew of.”
Full Metal Jacket
9Adam Driver - United States Marine Corps
Best Known for ‘Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens’ (2015)
It’s well-known that Adam Driver is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps. He has made his past service a big part of his life, even after pivoting to acting, by founding theArts in the Armed Forces organization. It’s a non-profit that focuses on providing free arts programming to active-duty service members, veterans, military support staff, and their family members.
One of the most prolific actors of this generation,Driver is known for playing Kylo Renin theStar Warssequel trilogy as well as Academy Award-nominated roles inBlacKkKlansmanandMarriage Story. It was the September 11 attacks that drove Driver’s decision to join the Marine Corps, as he said in a 2015 TED Talk cited byMilitary.com. He declared that enlisting is “one of the things I’m most proud of having done in my life.” Driver served for almost three years before he was medically discharged after a mountain biking injury. At the time of his departure, Driver was in the rank of Lance Corporal.
Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens
8Jake McLaughlin - United States Army
Best Known for ‘Will Trent’ (2023- Present)
Jake McLaughlinonly started acting in 2007 and has mostly appeared as a guest star in single episodes of a variety of crime drama shows and movies. His best-known roles to date include a lead role as Ryan Booth inQuantico, Gary Hall inthe true crime seriesBlack Bird, and currently as Michael Ormewood, a main character in the seriesWill Trent.
The reason McLaughlin got a late start is thathe was in the United States Army as a Dismount Infantry Squad Automatic Weapon Gunnerwho served in the Iraq War. His backstory and how he got into acting is interesting. McLaughlin heard thatPaul Haggiswas casting veterans for the movieIn the Valley of Elahand decided to audition, he toldCoastal Courier. After getting the part, McLaughlin said Haggis relied on his real-life knowledge and expertise to help direct parts of the movie, notably combat scenes. “It’s pretty mind-boggling,” he adds, “that I went from being in Iraq to doing concrete work to being in a major motion picture as my first film.”
Will Trent
7Ice-T - United States Army
Best Known for ‘Law & Order: Special Victims Unit’ (1999 - Present)
Ice-Trose to fame as a rapper, but he shifted to acting later in his career. His biggest role to date is in the long-runningLaw & Order: Special Victims Unit. His life was marred with trouble, from early (and later) criminal activity to losing both his parents and becoming an orphan. Ice-T, real nameTracy Lauren Marrow,enlisted in the United States Armyin 1977 following the birth of his daughter.He worked in the 25th Infantry Division and was honorably discharged after serving two years, given the option since he was a single father. At the time, Marrow had achieved the rank of Private First Class (PFC – E3).
While Ice-T has publicly discussed the crimes he went on to commit after leaving the army, he clearly turned his life around once his music and acting careers took off. Of his time in the army, Marrow notes, according to hisIMDb.com bio page: “I didn’t like total submission to a leader other than myself,”
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
6Morgan Freeman - United States Air Force
Best Known for ‘The Shawshank Redemption’ (1994)
Morgan Freemanis considered to be one of the best, most prolific actors of this generation. Earning an Academy Award forMillion Dollar Babyand starring in iconic movies likeDriving Miss Daisy,The Shawshank Redemption,Invictus,Se7en, andThe Dark Knight, he has been acting both on screen and in theater since the ‘60s. Freeman first became known for his role in the PBS children’s showThe Electric Companyin the ‘70s before his movie career took off. Before that,Freeman enlisted in the United States Air Force, working as an Automatic Tracking Radar repairman and eventually rising to airman first class.
Freeman told Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin during an interview at the Pentagon in 2023, as referenced byPolitico, that he had aspired to be a fighter pilot but did not receive that job. He described himself in his work as a repairman “as mechanical as a bug." When he later had the chance to audition to be a fighter pilot, Freeman claimed he realized his attraction to that position was “all movie stuff.” It’s fitting, then, that the veteran actor would go on to become one of the biggest Hollywood stars.
The Shawshank Redemption
5Drew Carey - United States Marine Corps Reserve
Best Known for ‘The Price Is Right’ (2007 - Present)
Drew Careyis known for his stand-up comedy and his sitcomThe Drew Carey Showalong with being host of improv comedy showWhose Line Is It Anyway?In 2007, he snagged the job of being the new host of game showThe Price is Right, a post he continues to hold. But what many don’t know aboutthe funnyman is that he also served in the United States Marine Corps Reserve.
Carey was a field radio operator in Ohio, where he served for six years. He toldU.S. Veterans Magazinethat the experience was a “pivot point in his life” that taught him a lot about leadership both in small groups and under pressure. “The military,” he adds, “is not about yelling at someone to do things, as people wholly unfamiliar with the military would believe. There’s a tremendous amount of trust that other people will do their jobs and that you’ll do yours…You never want to be the one who can’t rise to the occasion. You’re reminded of this dynamic constantly in the Marines. It’s just there. No one has to yell about it.”
4Bea Arthur - United States Marine Corps Women’s Reserve
Best Known for ‘The Golden Girls’ (1985 - 1992)
Acting since she began her stage career in the 1940s, the lateBea Arthuris best known for her role as Dorothy inThe Golden Girls, one ofthe best sitcoms of all time, which earned her the 1988 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy. In 1943, in the thick of World War II,she enlisted in the United States Marine Corps Women’s Reserve, where she trained and served as a typist before working as a truck driver and dispatcher. When she was honorably discharged two years later, she held the rank of staff sergeant.
According toVA News, Arthur, real surname Frankel, was one of the first members of the Women’s Reserve. Interestingly, Arthur denied her involvement in the Marine Corps ina 2001 interview, but official records confirming her position were made public in 2010, a year after her death. It’s unclear why she said she did not serve, but her enrollment is confirmed in theNational Archives Catalog.
The Golden Girls
3Clint Eastwood - United States Army
Best Known for The Dollars Trilogy (1964-1966)
Clint Eastwoodis known for his raspy but menacing voice and the rough-around-the-edges characters he often plays in spaghetti Westerns. Shifting his career to work as a director, Eastwood has a long and storied career in Hollywood. He has played some iconic characters in movies like The Dollars Trilogy,theDirty Harrymovie series,Gran Torino, andUnforgiven. Widely considered to be a cultural icon of traditional masculinity,Eastwood also served in the United States Army back in the 1950s.
Eastwood was drafted to the Army during the Korean War, though he didn’t fight on the frontlines; instead, he was a lifeguard during his time there. According to theU.S. Department of Defense, Eastwood once dealt with a harrowing situation when a Navy AD-1Q torpedo bomber on which he was a passenger crashed off the California coast following engine troubles. He and the pilot had to swim to shore, a scene that played out similarly in a role he later played in the movieEscape from Alcatraz.
A Fistful of Dollars
2Tom Selleck - California Army National Guard
Best Known for ‘Blue Bloods’ (2010 - Present)
WhileTom Selleckis a staple face in the primetime TV line-up nowadays with his starring role in the seriesBlue Bloods, he rose to fame playing the titular character in the seriesMagnum, P.I. He also starred in many iconic movies throughout his career, includingThree Men and a Babyand had a memorable recurring role on the sitcomFriendsas Monica’s love interest, Dr. Richard Burke.
Selleck was drafted during the Vietnam War. He joined the California National Guard and served for six years from 1967 through 1973 before going to build his successful career in the early 1980s. When talking withMovieguide, Selleck said he was proud to be a veteran. “We’re all brothers and sisters in that sense,” the actor said of fellow soldiers.
Blue Bloods
1Rob Riggle - United States Marine Corps Reserve
Best Known for ‘Modern Family’ (2009-2020)
Rob Riggle served his country in the United States Marines. While there, he rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel. Nowadays, he’s best known for his humorous roles on shows likeThe Daily Show, for which he served as a correspondent, andModern Family. Currently, Riggle is the co-host of the miniature golf game showHoley Moley,
He referenced his former position often onThe Daily Show, even calling himself the show’s “military analyst.” Through his 23 years of service with nine years of active duty in places like Libera, Albania, Kosovo, and Afghanistan,Riggle earned several medals. He toldPeoplethat serving his country was “something I always wanted to do. I thought I could best serve in the military. I just thought,” he added, “service of some kind of important…for citizenship.” Riggle says of his time there that he was “pushed beyond his perceived limits” and gives the military credit for arming him with the confidence to pursue his dreams in other respects, too, including comedy and acting.
