10 Celebrities Who Fought In Real Wars

Top 10 Celebrities Who Were in Wars

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for various celebrities who actually saw combat or some type of military action in a war.

#10: James Blunt

Nothing in James Blunt’s early life signaled a career in music. In school, he excelled at the likes of physics and chemistry, and he later studied aerospace manufacturing engineering in college. He then served time with a regiment of the British Army called the Life Guards. Blunt went on to serve in the Kosovo War, carrying out aerial reconnaissance and choosing targets for bombings. He was also a part of the so-called Pristina Airport Incident, which had the potential of kick-starting World War III. While serving in the Kosovo War, Blunt would play the guitar for locals, signaling his imminent ascension as a world-famous pop star.

#9: Rod Serling

Rod Serling is well-known as the creator, head writer, and presenter of “The Twilight Zone.” The show debuted in October 1959, when Serling was 34 years old. Sixteen years earlier, he was fresh out of high school and serving in the US Army. Serling was assigned to the 511th Parachute Infantry Regiment and saw combat in the Philippines during World War II. His Airborne Division served as light infantry during the Battle of Leyte, which resulted in an Allied victory. He also served during the Battle of Manila, which lasted one month between February and March of 1945. Serling was awarded numerous medals for his service, including the Purple Heart.

#8: Shaggy

Born Orville Burrell, Shaggy is an eight-time Grammy nominee as of 2023 and is world famous for singles like “Angel,” “Boombastic,” and “It Wasn’t Me.” His songs are insanely catchy, and his unique voice is instantly recognizable. In fact, Shaggy practiced and perfected said voice while serving in the United States Marine Corps. Burrell enlisted in 1988 when he was 20 years old and worked in Field Artillery with the 10th Marine Regiment. Shaggy served during the Gulf War, which began approximately two years after he enlisted. For his services in the military, Shaggy was eventually promoted to Lance Corporal. He left the military in 1991, and “Boombastic” was released to enormous success four years later.

#7: Charles Bronson

His screen presence was larger-than-life, and his resume of awesomeness includes roles in “Death Wish”, “The Great Escape”, and “Once Upon a Time in the West”. As it turns out, though, Charles Bronson was quite the roughneck in real life. He became a decorated World War II vet after serving in the US Air Force for about three years. During that time, he saw action as an aerial gunner for a multitude of combat missions. He sustained serious injuries during one operation and found himself wearing the honorable Purple Heart upon his retirement in 1946. It was only after his service that Bronson decided to pursue an acting career. Perhaps his military experience is partially to thank for the iconic characters that he would later play.

#6: Christopher Lee

This man led one heck of a life. Lee’s time in the military is worthy of its own movie. He entered World War II at 17 and served during the Winter War with the Finnish Army. He later entered the Royal Air Force and was stationed across Africa. He was an intelligence officer in the No. 260 Squadron RAF and completed various air duties, including bombings and ground support. He directly helped in the Allied invasion of Italy, caught malaria six times in one year, climbed Mount Vesuvius, survived a plane crash, and even quelled a mutiny. He then hunted Nazi war criminals before retiring in 1946. Like we said, one heck of a life.

#5: Mel Brooks

It’s amazing how life works out sometimes. If Mel Brooks’s career panned out as he planned, we wouldn’t have gotten some of the funniest movies ever made, and Brooks could have been just another psychologist. Brooks hoped to study psychology at Brooklyn College but was drafted into World War II at the age of 18. He was placed in the Army and defused land mines with the 1104th Engineer Combat Battalion. He even saw action in the Battle of the Bulge, which is the third deadliest battle in American history. It was after the war that Brooks got into comedy, finding work as a TV writer and performer at various Catskills resorts.

#4: Alec Guinness

A widely acclaimed actor, Alec Guinness enjoyed decades’ worth of success and is perhaps best known for playing Obi-Wan Kenobi in the original “Star Wars.” Guinness was an accomplished Shakespearean actor before serving in World War II. During his time in the war, Guinness was a Temporary Lieutenant who commanded landing crafts during Operation Husky. This was the official name for the Allied invasion of Sicily, which took place throughout July and August of 1943. He later returned from the war and continued acting in various Shakespeare productions. In 1953, he uttered the very first line of the now-famous Stratford Festival in Ontario, Canada.

#3: Clark Gable

The King of Hollywood enjoyed one of the most storied careers in movie history, starring in classic films like “It Happened One Night” and “Gone with the Wind.” He was a major star before the outbreak of World War II, and in 1942, Gable enlisted in the Army. His reputation as a screen legend preceded him, and he was assigned to film a recruitment video for aerial gunners. While in England with the 351st Bomb Group, Gable took part in various combat missions and was nearly killed in action. With the influence of the movie studios behind him, Gable was subsequently placed on inactive duty and was personally discharged in 1944 by future president Ronald Reagan. Gable’s video, “Combat America,” was released in January of 1945.

#2: Oliver Stone

This filmmaker has an intense fascination with American history and politics, and he made a trilogy of films detailing the Vietnam War. These films were “Platoon,” “Born on the Fourth of July,” and “Heaven & Earth.” Stone had a personal interest in the Vietnam War, having served in it himself. Stone volunteered for combat in 1967 at the age of 20 and enlisted in the Army. He undertook many roles during his time in Vietnam and received numerous awards. These include the Combat Infantry Badge, the Bronze Star, and two Purple Hearts. After leaving the Army, Stone studied film at New York University and graduated in 1971, which helped put him on his now-historic path.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Paul Newman
Earned the Navy Good Conduct Medal Serving in World War II

Michael Caine
Served in the Korean War with the Royal Fusiliers

Ed Wood
Served in the Pacific Theater During World War II

#1: Jimmy Stewart

This legendary performer was as much a military pilot as he was an actor. Stewart had a long military career, serving with the Army between 1941 and 1947 and with the Air Force from ‘47 to ‘68. In fact, Stewart was the first movie star to enlist in the second World War, having proudly come from a long line of soldiers. In four years, Stewart rose from private to colonel and later to brigadier general and earned both the Air Medal and the Distinguished Flying Cross. Stewart remained in the military until he was forced to retire at 60. He was awarded the United States Air Force Distinguished Service Medal for his valiant career.

What do you make of these celebrities’ actions? Let us know in the comments below!