# Any actor played roles in all 4 armed services? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 25, 2012, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-actor-played-roles-in-all-4-armed-services/619873 "2012-04-25T02:08:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2012, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-actor-played-roles-in-all-4-armed-services/619873/1 "2012-04-25T02:08:48Z")
Has any actor played a role in each of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines? Denzel Washington has played a Navy and Army role. ---
**Author:** ![Folacin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folacin/32/3195_2.png) [@Folacin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folacin)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2012, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-actor-played-roles-in-all-4-armed-services/619873/2 "2012-04-25T02:13:09Z")
I don’t have an answer, but I do have a question - would you count the Army Air Force (WW II (and WW I?)) as Air Force? That would make it easier (for all the WW II movies in particular). ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2012, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-actor-played-roles-in-all-4-armed-services/619873/3 "2012-04-25T02:13:48Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > Has any actor played a role in each of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines? > > Denzel Washington has played a Navy and Army role. Bud Abbott and Lou Costello played Army roles (_Buck Privates_ and _Buck Privates Come Home_) and Navy guys (\* In the Navy\*). I don’t think they were in any other services, but at least they’re equals with Denzel Washington in this. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2012, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-actor-played-roles-in-all-4-armed-services/619873/4 "2012-04-25T02:14:35Z")
yes I could count Army Air Force as Air Force for this question. Also I would count Coast Guard but not too many movies feature those guys. Washington played Army roles in 2 movies - Glory and Courage Under Fire. His Navy role was Crimson Tide. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2012, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-actor-played-roles-in-all-4-armed-services/619873/5 "2012-04-25T02:17:39Z")
Barry Corbin comes to mind. Played an Air Force general in _WarGames_, a former marine (and astronaut) in _Northen Exposure_, an army retention sergeant in an episode of _M_A_S_H\*… and I can’t find a Naval role. Darn. ---
**Author:** ![Folacin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folacin/32/3195_2.png) [@Folacin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folacin)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2012, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-actor-played-roles-in-all-4-armed-services/619873/6 "2012-04-25T02:18:41Z")
Well, Peck was Air Corp in “12 O’Clock High”, Royal Navy in “Horatio Hornblower”, and Army in “MacArthur” (and Army in several others). ETA: Apparently his son Stephen was a Marine, so that’s close? ---
**Author:** ![Civil\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d78d45/32.png) [@Civil\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Civil_Guy)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2012, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-actor-played-roles-in-all-4-armed-services/619873/7 "2012-04-25T02:30:11Z")
If we’re talking about various historical services as well, I’d submit John Wayne, who ‘served’ in the Mongolian Horde, the Roman Legion (some backwater assignment in Judea somewhere, some kind of prisoner escort or something), and various military actions throughout American history. ---
**Author:** ![ExTank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@ExTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExTank)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2012, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-actor-played-roles-in-all-4-armed-services/619873/8 "2012-04-25T02:34:40Z")
James Stewart has played Navy (_Navy Blue and Gold_), Army _and_ Army Air Force (_The Glenn Miller Story_), and Air Force (_Strategic Air Command_). ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2012, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-actor-played-roles-in-all-4-armed-services/619873/9 "2012-04-25T02:46:40Z")
John Wayne Army: She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, The Green Berets Navy: The Wings of Eagles, They Were Expendable Air Force: Jet Pilot Marines: Flying Leathernecks, Sands of Iwo Jima Merchant Marine: Blood Alley ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2012, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-actor-played-roles-in-all-4-armed-services/619873/10 "2012-04-25T02:47:55Z")
Let’s see… Clint Eastwood… Marine - Heartbreak Ridge Air Force - Firefox Army - Where Eagles Dare Navy - a 1955 episode of “Navy Log”, according to wiki, though his role in “Francis in the Navy” might qualify ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2012, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-actor-played-roles-in-all-4-armed-services/619873/11 "2012-04-25T02:47:56Z")
Gene Hackman: Navy Captain in the aforementioned CRIMSON TIDE (later an Admiral, in BEHIND ENEMY LINES); Air Force Lieutenant Colonel in BAT 21; Marine Colonel in UNCOMMON VALOR; Army Master Sergeant in THE PACKAGE; and, what the hell, the Secretary of Defense in NO WAY OUT – as well as Commander-in-Chief, in ABSOLUTE POWER. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2012, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-actor-played-roles-in-all-4-armed-services/619873/12 "2012-04-25T02:55:56Z")
Ignoring his westerns and movies set before the 20th century, John Wayne played Navy ( **They Were Expendible** ), marines ( **Sands of Iwo Jima** ), Air Force ( **Jet Pilot** ), Army paratrooper ( **The Longest Day** ), and regular army ( **Back to Bataan** ). He also was a merchant marine captain and a seabee, ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2012, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-actor-played-roles-in-all-4-armed-services/619873/13 "2012-04-25T03:36:10Z")
I’ll add William Holden. Bridges at Toko Ri for Navy, Stalag 17 for Army Air Force, and a zillion roles as a soldier, and The Proud and Profane as a Marine. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2012, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-actor-played-roles-in-all-4-armed-services/619873/14 "2012-04-25T03:55:31Z")
Gerald McRainey Marine - Major Dad USAF - West Wing Navy - Recurring role in JAG and a few TV movies Army - some TV movies (including playing Patton) ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2012, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-actor-played-roles-in-all-4-armed-services/619873/15 "2012-04-25T04:05:29Z")
Tom Cruise comes close. Air Force in **Top Gun** , Army in **Born on the Fourth of July** , Navy in **A Few Good Men**. He plays soldiers and airmen in a bunch of in-production films, and played a German soldier in **Valkyrie**. No marine roles as yet. ---
**Author:** ![drastic\_quench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e36b37/32.png) [@drastic\_quench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drastic_quench)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2012, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-actor-played-roles-in-all-4-armed-services/619873/16 "2012-04-25T04:25:37Z")
Cuba Gooding Jr. Navy - Pearl Harbor and Men of Honor Army - Outbreak Marines - A Few Good Men Air Force (Army Air Corp) - The Tuskegee Airmen ---
**Author:** ![drastic\_quench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e36b37/32.png) [@drastic\_quench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drastic_quench)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2012, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-actor-played-roles-in-all-4-armed-services/619873/17 "2012-04-25T04:31:01Z")
[Raymond Cruz](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0190441/), who you might recognize as the guy who was cast to be the Hispanic military guy in the 90s, has all but the Air Force. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2012, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-actor-played-roles-in-all-4-armed-services/619873/18 "2012-04-25T05:10:36Z")
> [@Krokodil](#): > > Tom Cruise comes close. Air Force in **Top Gun** , Army in **Born on the Fourth of July** , Navy in **A Few Good Men**. He plays soldiers and airmen in a bunch of in-production films, and played a German soldier in **Valkyrie**. No marine roles as yet. Nitpick, Top Gun was Navy ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2012, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-actor-played-roles-in-all-4-armed-services/619873/19 "2012-04-25T05:12:03Z")
And **Born on the Fourth of July** was USMC. ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2012, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-actor-played-roles-in-all-4-armed-services/619873/20 "2012-04-25T05:15:35Z")
**Five.** There are five armed services in the US. You left out the Coast Guard. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-actor-played-roles-in-all-4-armed-services/619873.md?page=2)