He was medically discharged after being injured in an unrelated accident. Over 40 years after his untimely death from mesothelioma in 1980, Steve McQueen is still considered hip and cool, and he endures as an icon of popular Marines But the film actor, TV star, stage performer, and comedian is probably best known for the decades he spent entertaining troops stationed overseas. . . Expelled from high school for fighting, Warden worked as both a boxer and a bouncer in his youth. While attending Marquette Academy, he and classmate Pat O'Brien quit school to enlist in the Navy at the start of World War I. Tracy was still at Norfolk Navy Yard One of the great movie villains, Clarence Leroy Van Cleef, Jr. was born in Somerville, New Jersey, to Marion Lavinia (Van Fleet) and Clarence LeRoy Van Cleef, Sr. His parents were of Dutch ancestry. The Navy sailor served in a submarine force in the Pacific theater during World War II. Earlier, he served as a communications officer in the Naval Reserve in 1945. Although he has more than 100 acting credits to his name, Art Carney is most famous for his role supporting Jackie Gleason in the pioneering television program "The Honeymooners." restrictions, which you can review below. storytelling. Ben Johnson actor estadounidense. A veteran of the stage and screen, Fred Gwynne is remembered as Herman Munster from TV's "The Munsters" as well as the short-tempered stickler judge from "My Cousin Vinny." (1976). From "Law & Order: SVU" to "New Jack City," pioneering West Coast rapper Ice-T joined the Army right out of high school as a means to support his daughter and girlfriend. Ben Johnson: Hardest Role for Cowboy Movie Star to Play is Actor Ben "Son" Johnson, Jr. (June 13, 1918 - April 8, 1996) was an American stuntman, world champion rodeo cowboy and actor. He was born in San Francisco, California, the elder of two sons of Cecilia (Gold) and Joseph Whitman, a realtor. Ben Johnson (actor), better known by her family name Benjamin, was a popular American film actor (1918-1996). He Air Force - Joined in 1953 and served four years. In doing so, youre agreeing to the below guidelines. [2], The Ben Johnson Cowboy Museum was opened in honor of Ben Johnson in his hometown of Pawhuska in June 2019. After being expelled from high school, the man born Laurence Tureaud served in the Army as a military policeman. buckle to him. Lt. Sherman Alexander Hemsley, Air Force veteran and actor, was born on Feb. 1, 1938 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He later became the face of recruiting posters for the Guard. To publish, simply grab the HTML code or text to the left and paste into Kisco, New York, on February 28, 1931, and raised in Pleasantville, he was the son of Margaret (Shea) and George See John Hillerman, who most famously played the impeccably urbane Englishman Jonathan Quayle Higgins III (VC !) Within a few years of his arrival in Hollywood, Studi caught the attention Army - drafted in '67 and served in Vietnam. Steve McQueen of "Bullitt" and "The Great Escape" fame was also a Marine. Hollywood icon Jack Lemmon has Hollywood credits dating from the 1940s to 2000. Although he was best known as the crotchety father in "Everybody Loves Raymond," Peter Boyle amassed nearly 100 acting credits dating back to the mid-1960s. He was always clowning around and would drive the band members crazy on the bus as they traveled. The son of Greek immigrants, Telly Savalas shined shoes and sold newspapers before joining the Army to serve in World War II, which he survived, with a Purple Heart. Tora! She was 73. The younger Johnson was inducted into the Hall You may also like: Best artists in country. He was also a Navy veteran who served during World War II shortly after graduating from high school. Ben Johnson became an Oklahoma legend as actor, cowboy - Tulsa World was an on-air guest on radio station KIKK when a caller returned the He decided to stick around (the pay was good), and for some years was a stunt man, horse wrangler, and double for such stars as John Wayne, Gary Cooper . When I left Oklahoma, I wasn't even sure which direction Hollywood was, but I could ride a horse pretty good. Decorated Korean War combat veteran James Garner received two Purple Hearts after being discharged in 1952. He had one older brother, Bernard, who Leonard Simon Nimoy was born in Boston, Massachusetts, to Dora (Spinner) and Max Nimoy, who owned a barbershop. She was the daughter of noted Hollywood horse wrangler Clarence "Fat" Jones. Ben Johnson (actor)'s full name is Benjamin Johnson Jr. and his nickname is Ben Johnson (actor). From the late 1950s he was a familiar face on TV, usually as authoritative figures. Known for his roles in "Cocoon" and "First Blood," Brian Dennehy continues to rack up credits more than 40 years after his debut in an episode of "Kojak" in 1977. 75, which named Bob Hope an honorary veteran "for his lifetime of accomplishments and service on behalf of our men and women in uniform.". About Ben Johnson. On April 8, 1996, the veteran actor collapsed while visiting his then 96-year-old mother Ollie at Leisure World in Mesa, Arizona, the suburban Phoenix retirement community where they both lived. As a young man, Jones entered the Army during the Korean War, but he remained in America supporting cold-weather training in Colorado. Chuck Norris is familiar to fans worldwide as the star of action films such as The Hitman (1991), The Delta Force (1986) and Delta Force 2: The Colombian Connection (1990). He has cited earlier comedians George Gobel (1919-1991), Ray Goulding (1922-1990), and Bob Elliott (1923-2016) as his main Elvis Aaron Presley was born on January 8, 1935 in East Tupelo, Mississippi, to Gladys Presley (ne Gladys Love Smith) and Vernon Presley (Vernon Elvis Presley). What Shows Have Been Renewed or Canceled? Little did he know that this early talent would take him Navy - WWII. Robert Montgomery's resume includes 64 acting credits, but he also directed six movies and produced three others. Jonathan Harshman Winters III was born on November 11, 1925 in Dayton, Ohio. actor Tom Selleck joined the California National Guard and served from 1967 to 1973. The notorious nonconformist was court-martialed three times before receiving a general discharge in 1957. Audie Murphy became a national hero during World War II as the most decorated combat soldier of the war. Stayed in the Air Force Reserve retiring as a Brigadier General. Johnson, Ben, Jr. | The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture Combat engineers. Among those DJs was longtime "Wheel of Fortune" host Pat Sajak, who joined the Army as a clerk typist with the rank of Spc. Ben Johnson - IMDb Ben Johnson - Wikidata 10 fun and interesting Ben Johnson facts Pastore, who served in the Navy from 1964'67, was cast as Salvatore Bonpensiero, a reluctant mob rat in HBO's "The Sopranos.". William served two years in the US Army. He also appeared with Charles Bronson in 1975's Breakheart Pass. Most of the actors who served will be remembered not for their service in a foreign theater overseas, but for their films that filled seats in movie theaters back home. Johnson started reading it, and when he got to the fifth line and it said "$5,000 a week," he stopped reading, grabbed a pen, signed it, and gave it back to Ford.[6]. Barker left college to train as a fighter pilot for the U.S. When World War II broke out, he joined the Coast Guard but was stationed at home in Brooklyn, New York, to perform at military shows. He played the role of the iconic sitcom character George Jefferson, who appeared not just on "The Jeffersons," but also on "ER," "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," "House of Payne," and "All in the Family.". Kline was struck by lightning while serving in Vietnam. Cuban-America Cesar Romeroa.k.a. Although he joined the Marines after high school, he was medically discharged after just a few months due to asthma. After being served draft papers during the Vietnam War, "Magnum P.I." They have two children. He has a wealth of films to his credit, most of them Westerns. He took his experiences back to civilian life, starring in many films about war and the military throughout his career. Like so many young people of his generation, Driver was swept up in patriotic fervor in the wake of 9/11. He was very tall at 6'5" and had a resonant, baritone Ruggedly handsome, slack-jawed actor Earl Holliman was born on September 11, 1928, in northeastern Louisiana amid meager surroundings. Montgomery had a younger brother, Donald. [citation needed]. Academy Award-winner and longtime leading man Ernest Borgnine made his Broadway debut in 1949 before heading to Hollywood. Jamie Farr was not the only Korean War veteran to star in "M*A*S*H." Co-star Alan Alda, who won five Emmys and was nominated for 20 more for his role as Hawkeye, served as a gunnery officer in the Army Reserve. He gained recognition for his authentic portrayal of many Western roles with his skills as a rancher and rodeo performer. Union, near Scottsville, Allen County, Kentucky, to Linus Pitts Napier, a tobacco farmer and postman, and his wife, Sara, on April 12, 1936. A cowboy in real life and on movie screens, Ben "Son" Johnson Jr. earned a best supporting actor Academy Award in 1972 for his work in "The Last Picture Show." He was born in nearby Foraker. Awarded the Silver Star and Purple Heart. "Colors," "The Godfather," "The Natural," and "Falling Down" are just a few of the classics on Robert Duvall's resume. Russell Johnson (1924-2014) - Find a Grave Memorial His father, Joe, who died in 1956, was a carpenter at Hollywood studios. He died on October 22, 2009 in The Navy - served on the USS Randall (APA-224) in the South Pacific. Oscar winner Jeff Bridges comes from a Coast Guard familyhis father and his brother Beau, a fellow actor, also served. [citation needed] In the 196667 television season, Johnson appeared as the character Sleeve in all 26 episodes of the ABC family Western The Monroes with co-stars Michael Anderson Jr. and Barbara Hershey.[8]. Born in Los Angeles, California, the younger son of James Langford Stack (1860-1928), the owner of an advertising agency, and Mary Elizabeth Modini Wood (1891-1975) Navy - WWII. He served in the U.S. Marines in World War II and contracted malaria during the fighting on Guadalcanal island. Bill. of Great Western Performers of the National Cowboy and Western Heritage In 1982, he was inducted into the Western Performers Hall of Fame at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City. 1 of 4. Before he died in 1971, Audie Murphy amassed an impressive list of credits including "Ride a Crooked Trail" and "To Hell and Back." That career was interrupted, however, in 1943 when he was drafted into the Army during World War II. Before his career took off, however, the St. Louis native served three years in the Army starting in 1954. when, in 1940, - IMDb Mini Biography By: Bruce Cameron , Had initially turned down the role of Sam the Lion in. His father was a traveling salesman Army - WWII. "Straight Shooting" -- whether skeet shooting, or portraying Eliot Ness -- Robert Stack always told it like it was, and shot straight. Randy Couture is a collegiate wrestler and fighter turned actor from Everett, Washington. After graduating from Yale, Dennehy joined the Marines, the organization which he credits for much of his future success. He is best remembered for his role of Sam the Lion in The Last Picture Show (1971), for which he won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar. The phrase "Good morning, Vietnam!" Knight landed his own TV series and is also famous for memorable roles in "Caddyshack," "The Love Boat," and "Too Close For Comfort." He's also a World War II veteran who rose to the rank of lieutenant during his service in the Navy between 1942 and 1945. A year after he enlisted, the Navy discovered his real age and discharged him. He served on torpedo bombers and on the USS Bunker Hill in the Battle of Okinawa in 1945 and left the service a decorated veteran. Two-time Oscar winner Michael Caine starred in the "Batman" franchise, as well as comedies like "Dirty, Rotten Scoundrels" and dramas like "The Cider House Rules" and "Hannah and her Sisters." . Served for three years. Francis Benjamin Johnson Jr. (June 13, 1918 - April 8, 1996) was an American film and television actor, stuntman, and world-champion rodeo cowboy. He lived in Lexington, Kentucky and graduated from Lafayette Senior High School with the class of 1944. Drafted into the Navy, he served as a cook in the U.S. Navy during Navy - WWII. You may also like: 100 best films of the 21st century, according to critics, Among only a few World War I veterans to make the list is Spencer Tracy, who served in the Navy. [13], In 2003 Johnson was inducted into the Texas Trail of Fame. Western Actors - Hall of Fame - IMDb Neville Brand joined the Illinois National Guard in 1939, bent on a career in the military. Following his military service he attended Southern Methodist One of the most prolific character actors of his time starting with his role of Santini in the Blackboard Jungle (1955). Johnson was also a stuntman but wasn't credited for it. Two-time Emmy nominee Bob Crane is best known for his role as Col. Hogan on "Hogan's Heroes," although he continued working right up to his death in 1978. Everybody in town's a better actor than I am, but none of them can [15], The Ben Johnson Memorial Steer Roping and the International Roundup Cavalcade, the world's largest amateur rodeo, are held annually in Pawhuska, Oklahoma. "It was in New Orleans I really learned how to sing", Jones told the Pittsburgh Press in 1969. Sid Caesar was a pioneering comedian and actor who is best known for his role in the "Grease" film musicals and as the creator of the Emmy Award-winning variety show "Your Show of Shows." After attending college, he joined the Air Force National Guard. Though very poor, attended prep school at Marines - Worked with O.S.S. He was an actor and writer, known for Black Scorpion (2001), The Making of 'and God Spoke' (1993) and A Dirty Shame (2004). Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. Bridges joined the Coast Guard Reserves and served at sea under what were often grueling conditions. Served as a cook aboard an LST during the Battle of Okinawa. He dazzled audiences across generations with films like "The Apartment" and "Grumpy Old Men." Blustery, stocky, loud although often genial character actor who has created a niche for himself playing often frustrated and fast talking Southern characters most noticeably as Sheriff J.W. You may also like: 100 best movies of all time. Before he was an actor, Hayden was a sea voyager and captain, sailing around the world as a teenager and earning his first command at the age of 22. Stewart was educated at a local prep school, Mercersburg Academy, where he Army Air Corps - WWII. Although he has credits dating from the early 1950s to 2011, Don Knotts is best known for his memorable roles in "Three's Company" and "The Andy Griffith Show." [16], A one-and-a-quarter-sized bronze sculpture by John D. Free of Ben Johnson riding a horse and roping a steer was commissioned and produced in Pawhuska, Oklahoma. His better known roles include Chief George Earle in "Demolition Man" (1993), Prison Warden Samuel Norton in "The Shawshank Redemption" (1994), medical school dean Dr. Walcott in " Army - '69-'71. Colonel Kirby Yorke's devotion to military duty led him to destroy the plantation home of his southern-born wife during the Civil War. [7] Ford called Johnson into his office, and handed him an envelope with a contract in it. He later studied psychology at Columbia University under the Mr. T was born Laurence Tureaud on 21 May 1952, in the rough south side ghetto of Chicago. He was commissioned as an Infantry Officer and served as an OCS Tactical Officer at Fort Benning, before undergoing Vietnamese language training and jump school Army - '67-'70. Born of Norwegian heritage (the family name, Aurness, had formerly been Aursness) in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Rolf and Ruth Duesler Aurness. During World War II, he left college to serve in the Navy. His mother was an elementary school teacher and his father was a landscape designer. As a kid in the 1930s growing up in a tough New York neighborhood, kinetic wiseguy Larry Storch took in the multi-ethnic flavor of his surroundings and started blurting out various accents as a juvenile to provoke laughs and earn attention. Tyrone Power was one of the great romantic swashbuckling stars of the mid-twentieth century, and the third Tyrone Power of four in a famed acting dynasty reaching back to the eighteenth century. At age 40 he became the youngest actor ever to be knighted when King George honored him with the title, and is one of the only actors to be buried in Westminster Abbey's vaunted Poet's Corner. 2016. A prize belt buckle that he won for calf roping was stolen from his car Served for two years as a radio operator and aerial gunner aboard a B-25 Mitchell stationed in the Alaskan Aleutian Islands. In many ways the most successful and familiar character actor of American sound films and the only actor to date to win three Oscars for Best Supporting Actor, Walter Brennan attended college in Cambridge, Massachusetts, studying engineering. He had a comfortable, middle-class upbringing in nearby Bill Cosby is one of the world's most well-known entertainers and comedians. After graduating from Stamford High School in 1946, he turned his attention to his love for Bob Gunton is an American actor, primarily known for portraying strict and authoritarian characters in popular films. You may also like: Exploring minority representation in the biggest box office winners ever. he was one of famous film actor (1918-1996) with the age years old group. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/?ref=chooser-v1. Profession Actor. He failed to obtain parts in school Navy - served in the Philippines as an aircraft mechanic during World War II. James Maitland Stewart was born on May 20, 1908, in Indiana, Pennsylvania, to Elizabeth Ruth (Johnson) and Alexander Maitland Stewart, who owned a hardware store. During World War II, he experienced combat as a radioman in the Navy. Vietnam. Sergeant in the 101st Airborne. B.J. share our stories with your audience. Nationality. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb. He also starred in Missing in Action (1984) and its sequels, Firewalker (1986) and Sidekicks (1992). Naturally, young Ben would. Bill to attend the American Theatre Wing after he was honorably discharged. Ben Johnson: A Cowboy for All Seasons | New Beverly Cinema Born in Oklahoma, Ben Johnson was a ranch hand and rodeo performer He is now a lonely man, fighting Indians in the west. He acted in front of the camera for the first time (uncredited) in 1945 in Abbott and Costello's Naughty Nineties. He attended the University of California at Berkeley, served as a US Navy frogman during WWII and saw action on Iwo Jima.While constable of Crockett, California, he drove his brother Guido to Navy - In 1944, at age 18, he entered the Navy, serving as a frogman until 1946; he saw action at Okinawa with UDT-17. Born in 1916, Kirk Douglas was the patriarch of one of Hollywood's most iconic show business families. Following his military service he attended Southern Methodist . Johnson thought the incident had been forgotten, but Ford did not use him in a film for over a decade. After his parents' divorce, Steiger was raised by his mother in Newark, New Jersey. Essex. In 1954, prior to becoming a legendary stand-up comedian, 17-year-old George Carlin joined the Air Force for the start of what would be a rocky military career. He was one of the pioneers of television acting in the 1950s, and is best remembered for his 1970s TV work as Oscar Madison on The Odd Couple (1970) and as the medical examiner on Quincy M.E. Breaking that rule did him no harm, though, as he achieved pop cult status by finding, A marvelous character actor with intense eyes, a sly grin and somewhat grizzled appearance, Golden Globe-winner Fred Ward had nearly 90 appearances under his belt in many tremendous films and television programs. Keep reading to learn about 100 actors who served in the military. But before the legendary macho man went on the attack on the big screen, he was on the attack in the skies over Europe. At the start of World War II, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Marines and transferred to the CIA's precursor agency, the Office of Strategic Services, eventually earning the Silver Star for valor. He served in Hawaii as part of the 25th Infantry Division. [5], His work as a stuntman caught the eye of director John Ford, who hired Johnson for stunt work in the 1948 film Fort Apache, and as the riding double for Henry Fonda. Jun 12, 2018. Returning to school, he studied acting Navy - WWII. Awarded the Silver Star for Valor. Tony Curtis was born Bernard Schwartz, the eldest of three children of Helen (Klein) and Emanuel Schwartz, Jewish immigrants from Hungary. The Rock aligns himself with partnerships that have an ongoing mission to support troops and first responders. The late Jack Palance frequently played tough guys on the big screen in movies like "City Slickers," and he lived up to the Hollywood image in real life. Johnson, an Oscar winner and rodeo champ, would have . He's also a veteran of the military. Res. He paused his career to join the Navy and saw action in the European and Pacific theaters. Francis Benjamin "Ben" Johnson, Jr. (1918 - 1996) - Genealogy Johnson, who "happened to be settin' on a horse", stopped the runaway wagon and saved the men. He entered the Kentucky Military Institute in 1949 and served as a sergeant in Company A. Philadelphia native Sherman Hemsley dropped out of high school to join the Air Force and served for four years. In 1973, he co-starred as Melvin Purvis in John Milius' Dillinger with Warren Oates; he also appeared in Milius' 1984 film Red Dawn. He is an actor and director, known for Dallas (1978), My Name Is Nobody (1973) and Dillinger (1973). He was previously married to Gwendolyn Mumma Landes. As a young man, Franz enlisted in the Army after college and experienced intense combat in Vietnam, where he served with the 82nd Airborne. I have only found four female veterans for this list. Emmy nominee John Amos has played some of the most iconic characters ever to appear on both the big and small screens, including Kunta Kinte in "Roots," James Evans Sr. in "Good Times," and Cleo McDowell in "Coming to America." He has two sisters, Marlene (born 1938) and Heidi (born 1935). During World War II, Winters joined the Marines at just 17 years old and served for two years in the South Pacific. Curtis himself admits that while he had almost no formal education, he was a student of the "school of hard knocks" and learned from a young age that the only Robert Montgomery was born Henry Montgomery Jr., the elder son of New York businessman Henry Montgomery and his wife, Mary Weed (Barney), a native of Brooklyn, Kings County, New York. Heritage Museum in 1961. He served in WWII, and afterwards got a job playing the drums at nightclubs in the Catskills. Dennis Franz was born Dennis Franz Schlacta in Maywood, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, and is the son of Eleanor (Mueller) and Franz Ferdinand Schlachta, who were postal workers. He had a twin brother who was stillborn. He was an actor, known for Shaft (1971), Rollerball (1975) and Heartbreak Ridge (1986). Johnson liked to say later that he got to Hollywood in a carload of horses. He was previously married to Diana Platt and Gavin MacLeod's pleasing, agreeable manner on two hit TV series in the 1970s and '80s belied a number of shady villains he portrayed in his early career. He is a producer and actor, known for The Drew Carey Show (1995), Robots (2005) and Jack and Jill (2011). He is an actor and director, known for Three's Company (1976), Jack and Jill (2011) and Beverly Hills Ninja (1997). Saddle up: Pawhuska's newest attraction is Ben Johnson Cowboy Museum His family moved Army - three years in the Army Corps of Engineers. He has been acknowledged by many modern comic artist's as Humphrey DeForest Bogart was born in New York City, New York, to Maud Humphrey, a famed magazine illustrator and suffragette, and Belmont DeForest Bogart, a moderately wealthy surgeon (who was secretly addicted to opium). You may also like: Best Meryl Streep movies. rear-seat radioman and gunner in torpedo bombers. Before he was famous, however, Wilder was drafted into the Army in 1956. He reportedly called on the discipline he learned in the military to develop the work ethic required to succeed in show business. 100 Actors Who Served in the Military | Stacker He had first-hand experience with the latter in real life. But the Academy Award-winning actor also comes from a long military family lineage that can be traced to Robert E. Lee. Although he's probably most famous for his role in "Best in Show," renowned character actor Fred Willard also appeared in 50 sketches on "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno." He served in the Navy's Underwater Demolition Team, whose units were broken apart and attached to elite SEAL teams after Vietnam. Two-time Oscar nominee Jack Warden began his show business career in 1950. After the war he Marines - WWII. You may also like: Best and worst Jennifer Lopez movies. Upon his death in 2010, "Some Like it Hot" actor Tony Curtis was buried with full military honors. After receiving his education at the Pacific Military Academy, Mickey Rooney served in the U.S. Army from 1944 to 1946. The paper backed up that bold claim with the fact that Hill's shows were broadcast into 100 countries, a feat even Charlie Chaplin never matched. He had a sister, Gloria, and a brother, Dick Yarmy. His father, Jonathan Harshman Winters II, was a banker who became an alcoholic after being crushed in the Great Depression. Others, not so much. His great-grandfather was the first Tyrone Power (1795-1841), a famed Irish comedian. Screen legend, superstar, and the man with the most famous blue eyes in movie history, Paul Leonard Newman was born on January 26, 1925, in Cleveland, Ohio, the second son of Arthur Sigmund Newman (died 1950) and Theresa Fetsko (died 1982). He was of Scottish, Ulster-Scots, and some English descent. The son of a rancher, Johnson arrived in Hollywood to deliver a consignment of horses for a film. They had no children. Born in Oklahoma, Ben Johnson was a ranch hand and rodeo performer when, in 1940, Howard Hughes hired him to take a load of horses to California. Francis Benjamin Johnson Jr. (June 13, 1918 - April 8, 1996) was an American film and television actor, stuntman, and world-champion rodeo cowboy. If your organization is interested in becoming a Stacker Find where to watch Ben Johnson's latest movies and tv shows . Actor. On the set of The Train Robbers, in June 1972, he told Nancy Anderson of Copley News Service that winning the Oscar for The Last Picture Show was not going to change him and he would not raise his salary request to studios because of it. Ben Johnson Net Worth Ted Knight languished in obscurity for two decades before he struck Hollywood gold with the role of Ted Baxter in the 1970s sitcom "The Mary Tyler Moore Show." His father, a farmer named William Frost, died several months before Earl's birth, forcing his poverty-stricken mother to give up seven of her ten children. In 1964, he worked with Ford again in Cheyenne Autumn. Peckinpah appreciated Johnson's authenticity and lack of acting airs.[1]. 0. He entered the Marines in the 1950s for two years. You may also like: Most famous musician born the same year as you. The senior Johnson was also a cattleman and rancher who was inducted But I was fortunate because people accepted my character. After graduating high school, he enlisted in the Army in 1954. Morgan was born on June 1, 1937 in Memphis, Tennessee, to Mayme Edna (Revere), a teacher, and Morgan Porterfield Freeman, a barber. BEN JOHNSON Signed photo of the Oscar-winning actor in Cavalry uniform, rifle ready Photograph signed: "Ben Johnson".B/w, 8x10.