John Denver
Before he sung “Rocky Mountain High” John Denver spent time as a military brat whose father served in the U.S. Air Force. He was born in Roswell, New Mexico as “Henry John Deutschendorf,” but he later decided that name wouldn’t fit well on a marquee. After a few years in various clubs and groups, Denver released his first solo album, “Rhymes & Reasons.” He had to do all of his own marketing, including setting up an impromptu tour, but it was enough to spur his next album to a great success. This was also in large part due to his most famous song, “Take Me Home, Country Roads.”
Kathie Lee Gifford
Kathy Lee’s father, Aaron Epstein, was stationed in France at the time of her birth, but they quickly moved back to Maryland, which is where she ultimately grew up. She would go on to become famous as a talk-show host, with such shows as “Live with Regis and Kathy Lee” and “Today.”
James Woods
James Woods was the son of an Army Intelligence Officer, who died when James was only thirteen. His mother made ends meet by running a preschool, while James continued on to MIT, originally planning a career as an eye surgeon. While there, he joined “Dramashop” and acted in and directed a number of plays. After dropping out of MIT, he continued on that path has appeared in nearly two hundred films, tv series, and plays.
Martin Lawrence
Comedian Martin Lawrence was born in Frankfurt, West Germany to parents who were both serving in the U.S. military. He ultimately moved to New York City, where he managed to appear at The Improv, a famous comedy venue. The appearance there made it easy for him to be discovered. Later in life, he would have his own Fox show, titled “Martin,” and appear in dozens of comedy films.
Mark Hamill
Luke Skywalker held various ranks in the Rebel Alliance, but Hamill likely drew at least some inspiration from his father, who was a captain in the United States Navy. The family moved all over the country and even to Japan, where Hamill eventually graduated from high school. He took various roles in television shows and made-for-tv films but his big break famously came with “Star Wars.” At the time, few thought that the film would be a success at all, but the blockbuster hit and its many books, movies, and video games have resulted in a great deal of fame.