There are a few good men who served in the United States Marine Corps before they went to Hollywood and became famous actors. The Corps has a long history of attracting brave individuals from all walks of life, so it’s not a surprise that they were brave enough to grace the silver screen. Some of the most iconic actors in film and television once wore the Eagle, Globe, and Anchor, serving their country before stepping into the spotlight.
Here, we briefly examine the military careers of some legendary actors who served in the Marine Corps, ranging from World War II heroes to peacetime service members. There will be some you likely haven’t heard about, but that means you have the opportunity to check out some classic movies in your downtime. You might even learn something.
1. Bo Svenson
Bo Svenson is a Swedish-American actor, director, producer, author, and screenwriter who has appeared in two of Quentin Tarantino’s movies. After emigrating to the U.S. when he was 17 years old, he joined the Marine Corps in 1959. He served for six years until his honorable discharge in 1965.
On top of becoming a race car driver in his post-military career, Svenson is a martial artist with a fourth-degree black belt in judo. During his Marine Corps years, he was stationed in Japan and was the 1961 Far East Judo Champion in the heavyweight division.
He got his first big break opposite Robert Redford in “The Great Waldo Pepper” as he and Redford played rival former Army Air Corps pilots turned barnstormers in the American Midwest. Then, he worked on the hit original version of “Magnum P.I.” and is the only actor to appear in both Tarantino’s “Inglorious Bastards” and the original 1978 film, “The Inglorious Bastards.” Svenson also appeared in “Kill Bill: Volume 2” and “North Dallas Forty.” His TV show credits include “JAG,” “The Commish,” “McCloud,” “Hunter,” and “Kung Fu.”
2. Philip Carey
Philip Carey’s career spanned six decades of film and television roles, working with stars such as Joan Crawford, Doris Day, John Wayne, Henry Fonda, and director John Ford. His appearances in films as “Operation Pacific,” “This Woman is Dangerous,” “Mister Roberts,” and “Calamity Jane” made him a household name. Before his on-screen work, he served in the Marine Corps and was wounded during World War II as part of the Marine detachment aboard the USS Franklin. When the Korean War broke out, he answered the call to arms once again.
In his later career, he transitioned into more television roles, such as “77 Sunset Strip,” “The Rifleman,” “Cheyenne,” and “All in the Family.” His most continuous role was the ubiquitous Asa Buchanan on the soap opera “One Life to Live.”
Sterling Hayden
Sterling Hayden’s career as an actor spanned more than 40 years, from the 1940s to the 1980s. Perhaps best known for westerns and film noir, he was also a memorable character actor. He is best known for his turn in “Dr. Strangelove or: How I learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb” and his death as a crooked police captain in “The Godfather.”
Hayden served in the Marine Corps during World War II and with the Office of Strategic Services. His service during the war and with the OSS included parachuting into Croatia and running supplies via motorboats from Italy to Yugoslav partisans. For his service, he was awarded the Silver Star and the Order of Merit.
Tyrone Power
Tyrone Power was a star of Hollywood’s Golden Age, which spanned the years between the 1930s and the 1950s. Known for his swashbuckler roles, his films include “Jesse James,” “The Mark of Zorro,” “Captain from Castile,” and “Blood and Sand.” Although he began his career as a matinee idol in the 1930s and early 1940s, he later transitioned into more serious roles.
Power joined the Corps in 1942, but stayed with the Marine Corps Reserve from the end of World War II until his passing in 1958. He flew cargo planes during the war in the Marshall Islands, which included carrying wounded Marines to hospitals during the Battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa.
Larry Wilcox
Larry Wilcox is probably most recognizable to the public as California Highway Patrol officer Jon Baker in the TV show “CHiPs,” which ran from 1977 to 1983. His military career began with an enlistment in the Corps in 1967, where he served as an artilleryman in South Vietnam during the Tet Offensive. Wilcox left the Corps as a Staff Sergeant in 1973 and began work as an actor and rodeo cowboy.
Although he was probably a great rodeo cowboy, his acting career became his life’s work. After his big break in “CHiPs,” including roles in “Room 222,” “Lassie,” “Hawaii Five-O,” “M*A*S*H,” “Fantasy Island,” and “Police Story.” Wilcox’s film credits include “The Dirty Dozen: Next Mission,” “National Lampoon’s Loaded Weapon,” and “Deadly Lessons.”
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