Before his acting career took off, Steve Buscemi served as a firefighter with the New York City Fire Department. On September 12, 2001, the day after the attacks on the World Trade Center, he quietly returned to his former firehouse.

Without seeking attention, Buscemi worked 12-hour shifts alongside other firefighters, digging through the rubble in search of survivors. He declined interviews and photos, wanting no distractions—just to help.

A true hero in every sense.

By the time the United States entered World War II, Jimmy Stewart was already a Hollywood star, known for films like Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and You Can’t Take It With You. But when duty called, he didn’t hesitate to serve.

Stewart joined the U.S. Army Air Forces and became a skilled pilot, carrying out bombing missions and facing attacks from the Luftwaffe. The Germans had no idea that the man leading those flights was a famous actor.

He earned multiple military honors for his service—then quietly returned to his acting career.

Samuel L. Jackson once served as an usher at Martin Luther King Jr.’s funeral—a moment that deeply impacted him and sparked his political awakening. Motivated by the experience, he enrolled at Morehouse College and became involved in student activism.

Along with a group of students, Jackson took the college board hostage in protest of the school’s curriculum. Interestingly, one of the board members present was Martin Luther King Sr.

The protest led to Jackson’s expulsion from Morehouse, though he would later return to finish his degree.

In the documentary The Beatles: Eight Days a Week, a young and beaming Sigourney Weaver can be spotted in the crowd during the band’s legendary 1964 performance at the Hollywood Bowl.

Weaver later confirmed she was indeed there—just 14 years old at the time, soaking in the excitement of Beatlemania.

George Takei, one of the most prominent Japanese-American actors in history, spent part of his childhood in an internment camp in Arkansas during World War II.

He and his family, like over 100,000 other Japanese Americans, were forcibly removed from their homes and incarcerated by the U.S. government.

The Takeis lost everything. When their imprisonment finally ended, the family was given just “\$20 and a one-way ticket to anywhere in the United States.”

Before the Titanic tragedy, the White Star Line faced another serious incident. On May 19, 1887, in thick fog, the Celtic collided with the Britannic, resulting in six deaths and numerous injuries.

Fortunately, both ships remained afloat. Among the youngest survivors was 2-year-old Eleanor Roosevelt.

The experience reportedly left her with a lasting fear of ships—and of the ocean itself.

Sir Alec Guinness served as an officer in the Royal Navy during World War II, commanding a landing craft that brought infantry ashore during major invasions—including Sicily, Elbe, and Normandy.

Fittingly, much like his iconic role as Obi-Wan Kenobi, Guinness led troops across challenging terrain—always seeking the high ground, both in battle and in character.

Before becoming a household name on Wheel of Fortune, Pat Sajak served in the Vietnam War—though not on the front lines.

He was stationed in Saigon, where he worked as a DJ for the American Forces Vietnam Network, spinning records and entertaining the troops.

Sajak later described his time there as “relatively soft duty,” but it was still a unique chapter in his life before fame.

Before becoming a baseball legend, Lawrence “Yogi” Berra joined the U.S. Navy in 1943 at just 18 years old.

Less than a year later, he found himself participating in the D-Day invasion, providing fire support for Allied forces from a rocket boat—despite not even knowing what a rocket boat was when he signed up.

Jet Li and his family were among those caught in the devastating 2004 earthquake and tsunami that claimed over 200,000 lives. Li was with his children and their nanny when the tsunami hit.

Acting quickly, they grabbed the kids and ran toward their hotel for safety, while nearby bystanders swam out to help in the rescue efforts.

When Hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana in 2005, thousands were forced to evacuate—but rock-and-roll legend Antoine “Fats” Domino chose to stay.

At 77 years old, he believed he could ride it out like he had in past storms. However, Katrina devastated his home, and Domino had to be rescued by helicopter.

Sir Michael Caine was just 18 and fresh out of school when he served in the Korean War. As a British Army soldier in the early 1950s, he found himself in combat against Chinese forces.

Caine later recalled a moment when he came dangerously close to being killed—a harrowing experience that left a lasting impression long before he became a film star.

James Doohan, best known as Scotty from Star Trek, was a real-life war hero before he ever stepped on a soundstage. On D-Day during World War II, he led his Canadian regiment through a minefield and took out two German snipers.

Tragically, he was later hit by friendly fire—shot six times by a fellow Canadian. Four bullets struck his leg, one severed a finger, and another hit his chest.

Remarkably, a cigarette case in his breast pocket stopped the final round, saving his life—just like something out of a movie.

The assassination of John F. Kennedy remains a defining moment in American history. While actor Bill Paxton didn’t witness the tragic event itself, he saw President Kennedy just hours before the shooting.

On the morning of November 22, 1963, 8-year-old Paxton joined his father and brother to watch Kennedy speak at a hotel in Fort Worth, Texas.

Shortly after that appearance, Kennedy left for Dallas—where the heartbreaking public assassination occurred later that day.