Celebrities That Served In the Military Before Making It Big

Life in the military can be a whole other world, but did you know that some of your favorite stars have served in the military? Many have started their careers in the Army, Air Force, Navy, or even Marine Corps. While it might not be for everyone, these celebrities all survived the war on the front lines. Some of these are totally unbelievable...

Arnold Schwarzenegger

Arnold was once a bodybuilder, then an actor, then a governor, but before all of that, Schwarzenegger served in the Australian Army. During 1985, there was to a law requiring all able-bodied Aussie males over 18 to serve in the military for one year. He began bodybuilding when he was in the army and even went AWOL once to participate in a competition, saying "Participating in the competition meant so much to me that I didn't carefully think through the consequences."

Gene Wilder

The original Willy Wonka actor didn't have quite such a whimsical past. He had halted his successful fencing career when he was drafted and he began serving in the medical unit. He wanted to continue acting so he chose to serve as a paramedic for the Department of Psychiatry and Neurology at Valley Forge Army Hospital, about 2 hours from New York City, where he could still attend acting classes and auditions. 

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Post originally appeared on American Upbeat.