Robert Duvall – Served in the US Infantry
It was in 1953 that Robert Duvall joined the US infantry. Robert has enjoyed a lucrative career having earned his degree and theatre performances alongside Dustin Hoffman and Gene Hackman. During his military years, he became a private first class. Much like a few other actors on our list, he was enlisted during the Korean War as well. After getting discharged, however, Robert continued to pursue acting. As you might already know, he went on to appear in various films. He participated in the movie, The Judge with Robert Downey Jr. and was the oldest actor to be nominated for an Academy Award.
Dennis Franz – Served in the Infantry
It was through NYPD Blue, the popular television series, where actor Dennis Franz shot to fame. Did you know that he isn’t just a crime fighter and justice seeker on television? Prior to appearing in the cult favorite, Dennis also served during the Vietnam War for the 82nd and the 101st divisions in the airborne military infantry. Although Dennis has been reported as saying that his time in the military changed him quite negatively, continuing that he lost his youth as consequence of enlisting, his time there combined with his acting career has certainly helped his finances to prevent bankruptcy.
Harvey Keitel – Served in the Marines
Harvey Keitel enlisted with the US Marines at the tender age of 16 years. During the operation Blue Bat, he was transferred to Lebanon. He believes that his army days took him on a spiritual path providing him the means to protect those who could not save themselves. Quite a different perspective from others and one that has certainly served him well personally, as well as during his lengthy career. In Hollywood, discipline and passion are considered important assets. Since his discharge, Harvey has appeared on many shows and films and must have had many investments since his time in the army.
Adam Driver – Enlisted with the Marines
These days, we know him best as a versatile young actor who could be cast in just about genre one can think of. He has done comedy, serious drama, and even fantasy adventure. But, who could have imagined that Adam Driver would have enlisted with the Marines just after 9/11? He came out of the Marines with a sense of dedication and responsibility. He went as far as wanting to redo his audition for Julliard after his military career. Today, he is best known Kylo Ren—among other memorable roles. We wish him every success to pursue his future degree in his field of study.
Mickey Rooney – Joined the Troops
Mickey Rooney was in show business for an impressive 9 decades. He is one of the few popular actors who already achieved fame before he was enlisted in the army. Rooney served for two years in the military in the early 1940s. His entertainment qualities did not go unnoticed as he earned a bronze star for keeping up the spirits of his troops. Rooney may not have earned a degree but certainly made his mark in the film industry.
Jimmy Stewart – The Air Corps
It was in the year 1940 that Jimmy Stewart joined the Air Corps. It was in 1941 that he achieved a successful assignment as he was considered too underweight for the position. After gaining weight, he remained in the Air Corps until 1968. Stewart suffered from post-traumatic stress upon the loss of 130 soldiers including friends and the killing of civilians. These feelings were expressed in his movie, It’s a Wonderful Life. We are sure this actor also invested in great insurance to protect his wealth.
Sidney Poitier – Became a Military Medical Attendant
Lilies of the Field is the iconic movie in which Sidney Poitier’s career shot to fame. However, few people are privy to the fact that this incredible he actor once joined the US army. He was only 16 years old at the time and even had to lie about his age to gain entry into the military. He was a medical attendant for a hospital but soon became fed up at being controlled. He branched out by faking insanity to leave the military and sought an acting career. At least his career in the military may have helped his money management responsibilities.
Jerry Garcia – Joined the Infantry
Jerry Garcia joined the army during his later teen years before he became popularly known for his band, The Grateful Dead. The military was not something that Garcia particularly excelled in as he only served a 9-month period. It was a ruling of poor conduct that resulted in Garcia leaving the military. We hope he managed to save some money during that time he could use toward investments.
Paul Newman – Joined the Navy US
Paul Newman became an incredibly popular actor and a winner of the coveted Oscar. Although he started his career wishing to be an Airforce Pilot for the army, he soon discovered that he was colorblind and this venture was not meant to be. He did, however, serve two years as a radioman and a gunner for the United States Navy. Paul Newman certainly did not have to worry about bankruptcy or financial matters with his success in the army and his film career.
Rob Riggle – Served in the US Marines
Rob Riggle is best known for leaving his audiences in stitches. His comedic roles in 21 and 22 Jumpstreet gave the shows fans some memorable and rather questionable moments—all in good fun, of course. However, the funny man we see on TV is certainly far from how things were when he was still back in the Marines. After all, these guys are known for being tough and highly disciplined—the training for which is no joke. Rob served as the lieutenant colonel during his military career. Quite impressive and surely, he has developed significant investments based on his lucrative background.