The late King of Rock 'n' Roll Elvis Presley is just one of the huge celebrities who has served in the military.
Elvis rose to the rank of sergeant after he joined the Army in 1957, before returning back to his life of fame and fortune – and he is not the only celebrity to have done so.
Hollywood legend Betty White put her acting career on hold to serve in the American Women's Voluntary Services (AWVS), while Star Wars icon Adam Driver joined the marines before landing his famous film roles.
READ MORE: Inside Elvis Presley's final days – drug addiction, engagement and chilling last words
On the anniversary of Elvis leaving the Army in 1960 (March 5), Daily Star takes a look at other celebrities who served in the military.
Elvis
After rising to fame with hits such as Houndog and Jailhouse Rock, Elvis was drafted into the Army in 1957 where he rose to the rank of sergeant.
The Washington Post reported Elvis as saying at the time: "People were expecting me to mess up, to goof up in one way or another.
"They thought I couldn’t take it and so forth, and I was determined to go to any limits to prove otherwise. Not only to the people who were wondering but to myself."
During his time in the military, he met Priscilla Presley (nee Beaulieu), with whom he would welcome the late Lisa Marie-Presley following their marriage.
However he also encountered heartbreak, as his beloved mother Gladys Presley died of a heart attack in 1958 during the singer's military service.
Elvis was discharged from the Army in 1960, before the singer staged his famous comeback special and landed roles in a string of hit films during the same decade.
Betty White
Late Golden Girls legend Betty White served as a member of the American Women's Voluntary Services (AWVS) during World War II, where she carried out duties such as driving supply trucks, fire-fighting, aircraft-spotting, navigation and aerial photography.
The Hollywood legend had begun acting and modelling in the 1930s, but put her career on hold in 1941 to volunteer with the AWVS.
People Magazine reported that Betty recalled her time in the AWVS to Cleveland Magazine, saying: "It was a strange time and out of balance with everything, which I'm sure the young people are going through now. We'll never learn. We'll never learn."
Following her death on December 31, 2021, the star was recognised for her service to the U.S Army in a poignant tribute on social media.
The US Army posted in a Twitter statement: "We are saddened by the passing of Betty White.
"Not only was she an amazing actress, she also served during WWII as a member of the American Women's Voluntary Services.
"A true legend on and off the screen."
Tom Selleck
Friends and Magnum P.I icon Tom Selleck served in the California Army National Guard between 1967 to 1973, with the actor even featuring on recruitment posters.
Speaking to Military.Com, the actor recalled his service saying: "I am a veteran, I'm proud of it.
"I was a sergeant in the U.S. Army infantry, National Guard, Vietnam era. We're all brothers and sisters in that sense."
Before serving in the military though, Tom had already signed a deal to be part of Twentieth Century Fox's talent programme, seeming to point towards his future and Hollywood stardom.
As fortune would have it, Tom's most famous character – Thomas Magnum in Magnum P.I – was a former Navy SEAL, in a bizarre twist of fate that seemed to mirror the actor's military past.
He has also kept his military links outside of acting, acting as a spokesperson for the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial Fund.
Morgan Freeman
Academy Award winner Morgan Freeman joined the Air Force in 1955, after growing up with a fascination in war films.
The star wanted to learn to fly and after joining the Air Force, he served as a radar technician for more than four years, before having the chance to achieve his dream of auditioning for a slot as a pilot.
However, as reported by Miltary.com, he admitted to AARP Magazine that his feelings towards training to be a pilot changed as soon as he sat in the cockpit of a plane, saying: "When I was getting close to being accepted for pilot training, I was allowed to get in a jet airplane.
"I sat there looking at all those switches and dials, and I got the distinct feeling that I was sitting in the nose of a bomb. You are not in love with this; you are in love with the idea of this."
Morgan subsequently left in 1959 after realising that a life in the Air Force was not for him.
However, he has since played a member of the Air Force in 1989 film Glory.
Hugh Hefner
Late Playboy tycoon Hugh Hefner served as an infantry clerk in the Army after graduating from High School in 1944.
During his time serving in the Army, he completed his basic training but continued his passion for journalism by providing the cartoons for the Army newspapers.
However after being discharged two years later in 1946, Hugh left and later went to work at Esquire Magazine, before setting up his multi-million dollar Playboy empire.
Adam Driver
Adam Driver may be known for his action roles, but long before he played Star Wars villain Kylo Ren, he served in the Marines.
The star signed up at the age of 18 years old, with the actor saying during a TED Talk that it "was one of the things I'm most proud of having done in my life."
He continued to explain: "I joined … feeling like I think most people in the country did at the time, filled with a sense of patriotism and retribution and the desire to do something.
"That, coupled with that fact that I wasn't doing anything."
However, he was medically discharged from the Marines after two years of service following an injury, saying to NPR's Terry Gross: "It was pretty devastating. It took me a long time to get over it."
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