What was the highest military rank achieved by someone who later became an actor / TV personality?
Inspired by the recent thread on which actors had portrayed the most different service roles, which actor in their former life got to the highest rank before deciding to slum it in front of a camera?
Some starters - David Niven - Lieutenant-Colonel, British Army
Mortimer Wheeler [archaeologist who was a regular panellist on a British TV show in the 1950s] - Brigadier-General, British Army
Spike Milligan - Lance Bombardier and entertainer, British Army
There’s a few IMDB lists around, but they don’t make it easy for you.
James Earl Jones was a First Lieutenant in the Army, and may be the highest-ranking officer under the OP’s strict terms. James Stewart is a bit of a cheat here; he was an established actor before WWII, was some kind of officer during the war in the Army Air Corps, and remained in the Air Force Reserve after resuming his acting career. He retired a Brigadier General in the Air Force Reserve.
Some had already achieved success in the business, and it’s hard to know to what extent that might have eased their promotion in rank (David Niven for one - James Stewart?)
As for those who came out of the forces and into showbiz as a new venture:
Dirk Bogarde - Major Richard Todd - Captain Alec Guinness - Lieutenant RNVR Jon Pertwee - junior officer in naval intelligence Christopher Lee - Flight Lieutenant, RAF Denholm Elliott - RAF, but not officer rank
Herbert Marshall, who lost a leg as a private in WW1, was in backstage jobs before the war and became a filmstar later.
And don’t forget Audie Murphy
Hard to say. Most of the servicemen/actors IMDB mentions were enlisted men, but only a handful were famous beforehand. Elvis wasn’t exactly fast-tracked for officer training. Glenn Miller was made a captain, though.
Alan Alda, according to Wikipedia,“was a member of the ROTC, and after graduation, he served for a year at Fort Benning, and then six months in the United States Army Reserve on a tour of duty in Korea.” This was in 1956, after the war. I assume he was a First Lieutenant, having been in ROTC, but don’t really know for sure.
Audie Murphy became a 1st lieutenant by the end of the war, then became an actor. He certainly won more awards for combat valor - Including the Medal of Honor - than any other actor.
I can’t find a final rank for Neville Brand or Jack Palance, but both were highly decorated.
I remember in the commentary track for LOTR: The Two Towers PJ mentioned that when they were blocking out the scene where Saruman is stabbed in the back by Grima, Lee said at one point, “Oh, no; that’s not what someone sounds like when they’re stabbed.” PJ did not pursue how he knew.
I misremember where I saw/read it, but I do recall that his wartime experience was of value while filmng LoTR because he knew the exact sound a man (and presumably, Wizard) made when stabbed in the back.
Novelty Bobble’s reply reminded me that Sterling Hayden was also in the OSS as a lieutenant running armament into Partisan-held sections of Yugoslavia.
He “received the Silver Star (for gallantry in action in the Balkans and Mediterranean; … a Bronze Arrowhead device for parachuting behind enemy lines, and a commendation from Yugoslavia’s Marshal Tito.”
Buzz Aldrin was a celebrity panelist on five or six episodes of TATTLETALE, and a contestant on five or six episodes of DANCING WITH THE STARS — and in between, he’d act in a TV movie, or do an episode of THE FALL GUY or PUNKY BREWSTER or whatever; is there a point where the Colonel would hit “TV personality” status?
Ed McMahon was a Marine pilot in WWII and spent the war as a flight instructor. He stayed in the Marine Reserves and flew many combat missions in Korea. He retired at the rank of Colonel in the Marine Corps Reserves.
Audie Murphy stayed in the Texas National Guard after the war and rose to the rank of Major.
Neville Brand was a Staff Sergeant at the end of the war. For some reason his service has been greatly exaggerated over the years. There are cites that call him the third or fourth most decorated soldier in WWII. I have no idea where that came from. Certainly not him. He was very humble and did not speak often about the war. He certainly was a hero earning a Silver Star and Purple Heart.
I love the fact that he played Major John Howard in the Longest Day. Major Howard led the glider attack of Pegasus Bridge, the opening move in the D-Day invasion. The glider troops were reenforced by paratroopers and had to hold the Bridge until units that landed on the beach relieved them. One of the officers leading the paratroopers was Captain Richard Todd.
Kris Kristofferson was an Army Ranger and helicopter pilot who rose to the rank of Captain before deciding to leave the Army to pursue a career as a singer/songwriter/actor.