Humphrey Bogart

Humphrey Bogart
Image Credit: WikiMedia Commons

“Bogie” was struck in the mouth by a prisoner while he was assigned to the military police in the U.S. Navy during World War I. The injury left left his mouth scarred and gave him a subtle lisp. With his naturally raspy voice, though, the scar and lisp enhanced the tough guy-gangster image in which he was typecast for much of his movie career. Humphrey Bogart started acting in the theater–but the “tough guy” had such bad stage fright, he ran off the stage in the middle of a performance!

Fred Durst

Fred Durst
Image Credit: Shutterstock

You know Fred as the former lead singer for the metal rock band, Limp Bizkit. This groundbreaking musician and film director also served in the US Navy. He joined the military straight out of high school and was discharged after 2 years at the age of twenty. He moved home after his release where he mowed lawns and pursued tattoo artistry before getting the idea to start a band. He had a unique idea to combine the elements of rock and hip-hop. Fred played with three bands prior to becoming a founding member of the very successful, Limp Bizkit.


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Hugh Hefner

Hugh Hefner
Image Credit: WikiMedia Commons

Hugh is best known as the man behind “Playboy Magazine,” but before starting the now infamous publication, he was quite successful in a completely different role. He enlisted in the US Army fresh out of high school and began his military career as an infantry clerk. While in Basic Training, he won a sharpshooter badge. His writing and art skills were also put to use as he created cartoons for Army newspapers. Upon release from the Army, he received his Bachelor’s degree and went on to make his mark in the publishing world as a copywriter for Esquire Magazine. Hefner created the word “centerfold” – adding a brand new noun to the English language, and his magazine and lifestyle would ultimately take the world by storm, leaving a lasting impression on millions

Mr. T

Mr. T
Image Credit: Shutterstock

Mr T, from the famous TV-show the A-team, real name Laurence Tureaud, was more than a disgraced mercenary working from a black van. In fact, he was actually a Military Police Corps Officer. During his training, he was punished with wood cutting detail by his CO but not told how many trees he should cut. In three and a half hours he successfully chopped more than 70 trees. This level of commitment got him promoted to squad leader. He was eventually honorably discharged from the Army and became a bodyguard for $3,000 a night, before being spotted by Sylvester Stallone who placed him in his star-launching film, Rocky III.

Danny Aiello

Danny Aiello
Image Credit: WikiMedia Commons

Danny Aiello, an American actor famous for his role in “The Godfather Part Two,” also had a surprising military career in the Korean war. He lied to join the military when he was 16 and was instantly shipped to Germany where he spent 28 months serving the military on an army base. Once his service ended he went on to be a union representative for Greyhound buses and then eventually became a bouncer at a comedy club, which lead onto his acting career.

Sammy Davis Jr.

Sammy Davis Jr.
Image Credit: WikiMedia Commons

Sammy Davis Jr. was a African-American singer, musician, and actor. Noting his skills during World War II, the army assigned the seventeen-year-old to an integrated entertainment unit, designed to entertain soldiers who are serving overseas. Upon his return to America, his experience overseas was reflected in this work, which led to a position in the Rat Pack lead by his friend Frank Sinatra. He has revealed in his biography that he always suffered racism, especially while serving the military, being beaten and called derogatory names, but found power through his performances.

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