When you think of Hollywood stars, you probably picture red carpets and glitzy premieres, not muddy trenches and enemy fire. Yet the cataclysm of World War II pulled many of those bright lights straight into the fray. Below, we count down the ten most iconic performers who exchanged scripts for rifles, uniforms for camouflage, and still managed to become legends on both the silver screen and the battlefield.
10 Legendary Actors Who Went to War
10 Desmond Llewelyn
Desmond Llewelyn is a name most movie‑goers instantly link to the beloved Q, the gadget‑guru behind James Bond’s high‑tech toys. He embodied the role for nearly four decades, appearing in a record‑setting 17 Bond films. Yet his path to Q almost never happened because the world was at war.
Born in Newport, Wales, Llewelyn chased his acting dream to London in 1934, where he trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. His screen debut came in 1939’s comedy Ask a Policeman. Barely had the credits rolled when the war erupted, and Llewelyn was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, promptly shipped to France.
In 1940 his unit found itself in Lille, locked in a fierce clash with a German Panzer division. The British forces were overrun, and Llewelyn was captured. He was first interned at Laufen, then, after a daring escape attempt, transferred to the infamous Colditz Castle, where he spent the remainder of the conflict as a prisoner of war.
9 James Arness
James Arness may not be a household name for everyone, but Western fans will instantly recall his long‑running portrayal of Marshal Matt Dillon on the TV classic Gunsmoke. Before becoming the face of the American frontier, Arness earned a Purple Heart, a Bronze Star, and several other decorations for his bravery at the Battle of Anzio.
When the United States entered the war, Arness tried to enlist as a Navy pilot, but his towering height disqualified him. Undeterred, he joined the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division and landed at Anzio in 1944 as part of the Italian Campaign. His stature again played a role – he was the first man to be lowered from the landing craft to test the water’s depth.
Although he emerged from the battle without a wound, a later night‑patrol accident proved far more painful. While walking in front of a machine‑gun nest, several rounds pierced his right leg, shattering bones. Surgeries repaired the damage, but the injury shortened his leg by more than half an inch, forcing him to wear lifts for the rest of his life.
8 Lenny Bruce
Before he sparked the comedy revolution and fought legal battles over free speech, Lenny Bruce was a teenage seaman aboard the USS Brooklyn. Enlisting at just 16, he saw action in both North Africa and Italy, taking part in four overseas invasions before the war’s end.
In 1945, tired of the Navy life, Bruce concocted a bold ruse: he claimed “homosexual tendencies” to a medical officer, hoping it would secure a discharge. The officer reported his confession, and Bruce was sent for a neuro‑psychiatric evaluation, where he admitted he would eventually give in to his claimed urges.
The board concluded Bruce was truthful, and the commander recommended either discharge or a shore‑based transfer. He received a dishonorable discharge, but successfully appealed to have it changed to an honorable one. Decades later, his stunt inspired the cross‑dressing Corporal Klinger character on the TV series M*A*S*H.
7 Charles Bronson
Charles Bronson earned a reputation for playing stoic, hard‑boiled characters, but his early life was anything but glamorous. Growing up in a poor Pennsylvania mining family of Lithuanian immigrants, he left school early to work in the coal mines after his father’s death.
Drafted during World War II, Bronson attended gunnery school in Arizona before joining the 61st Bombardment Squadron of the 39th Bombardment Group, stationed on Guam. Assigned to a B‑29 Superfortress, he flew 25 missions over the Pacific, earning a Purple Heart for his service. After the war, the GI Bill helped him transition to acting, where his first film role was a sailor in a military‑themed picture.
6 Don Adams
Donald James Yarmy, better known as Don Adams, will forever be linked to his brilliant portrayal of the bumbling secret agent Maxwell Smart on the sitcom Get Smart. Yet before the laughs, Adams faced a life‑or‑death situation in the Pacific theater.
When the war began, Adams dropped out of high school and enlisted in the Marines. After basic training in North Carolina, he was assigned to I Company, 3rd Battalion, 8th Marines, and shipped to Samoa. On August 7, 1942, he participated in the initial Guadalcanal assault, where a Japanese sniper wounded him.
The wound wasn’t his biggest danger; he contracted blackwater fever, a severe form of malaria with a 90 % fatality rate. Expecting the worst, Adams spent a full year in a New Zealand hospital, eventually recovering fully. His love for military life persisted, and after returning home he served as a drill instructor for Marine recruits.
5 Mel Brooks
After we’ve met the actor who played Maxwell Smart, let’s turn to the mastermind behind the show: Mel Brooks. Known for classic parodies like Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein, Brooks’ own career began in uniform.
At 17, a military recruiter visited his high school and administered an aptitude test. Scoring high, Brooks entered the Army Specialized Training Reserve Program, anticipating the draft. He studied engineering at the Virginia Military Institute and officially enlisted when he turned 18.
Brooks spent most of his active duty as a combat engineer with the 1104 Engineer Combat Battalion of the 78th Infantry Division, clearing mines and constructing bridges. His unit also fought as infantry on several occasions and took part in the pivotal Battle of the Bulge.
When the war ended, Brooks didn’t waste a moment. He joined a Special Services unit that staged variety shows across camps, laying the groundwork for his future comedy empire.
4 Henry Fonda
Unlike many on this roster, Henry Fonda was already a major Hollywood name before he voluntarily pressed pause on his career to join the fight. He debuted in 1935 and rose to fame with films such as Jezebel and The Grapes of Wrath.
Initially, Fonda contributed to the war effort by starring in morale‑boosting movies, but he craved genuine service. He famously said he didn’t want to be “in a fake war in a studio,” prompting him to enlist in the Navy in 1942. He first served as a Quartermaster 3rd Class aboard the destroyer USS Satterlee, later earning a commission as a Lieutenant Junior Grade in Air Combat Intelligence, where he operated in the Central Pacific.
Superiors praised his leadership, military bearing, loyalty, judgment, and intelligence. For his contributions, Fonda received a Bronze Star Medal and, after the conflict, continued serving three additional years in the Naval Reserve.
3 James Doohan
James Doohan, forever remembered as Scotty from the original Star Trekk series, was among the first of our list to land on D‑Day’s beaches. Hailing from Vancouver, British Columbia, he joined the Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps in 1938, and a year later enlisted in the Royal Canadian Artillery.
Doohan’s unit was shipped to Britain to prepare for Operation Overlord, the massive Normandy invasion. On June 6, 1944, his regiment stormed Juno Beach, where he personally took down two enemy snipers. Though he survived the battle unharmed, a later friendly‑fire incident almost ended his life.
After stepping away for a cigarette, a jittery Canadian sentry mistook Doohan for an enemy combatant and opened fire, striking his leg six times and shattering his right middle finger. He concealed the loss with a prosthetic for most of his acting career, though the missing digit can be glimpsed in a few Star Trek scenes.
2 David Niven
David Niven epitomized the polished English gentleman on screen, yet he was no stranger to combat. Born into a military family, he attended the Royal Military College at Sandhurst, graduating as a second lieutenant in 1930 before abandoning the army to pursue acting.
By the time World War II erupted, Niven had already become a leading man, famously starring as the suave thief Raffles. When Britain entered the war, he immediately returned to service, joining the Commandos and being assigned to “A” Squadron GHQ Liaison Regiment—better known as “Phantom.”
During the Normandy invasion, Niven commanded his unit and led his men into fierce fighting. After the war, he remained tight‑lipped about his experiences, never publicly discussing his wartime service.
1 James Stewart
When it comes to actors with a military pedigree, Jimmy Stewart stands alone. Already a Hollywood heavyweight with films like Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and It’s a Wonderful Life, he went on to retire as a Brigadier General.
Stewart’s family had deep military roots, and after early war‑time publicity tours, he chose to serve more directly. A licensed commercial pilot, he entered the Army Air Force, trained as a bombardier in New Mexico, and was posted to Britain as the commanding officer of the 703rd Bomb Squadron.
He flew twenty bombing missions—a remarkable feat when most crews didn’t survive beyond a dozen. Stewart earned numerous commendations for his wartime heroics and continued serving in the Air Force Reserve after the conflict. Even during the Vietnam War, he logged one final observer mission before hanging up his wings as a Brigadier General.