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5. Morgan Freeman
Even though you would expect someone with a voice like Morgan Freeman’s to never go to the Army (unless he would be giving casual speeches in small rooms), that’s exactly what he did – and it helped him a great deal. Sometimes being in the military helps you decide what you want to do in life. Maybe you will realize that you don’t want to be in the military at all, and that’s what happened to Morgan.
In 1955, he joined the U.S. Air Force, bent on fulfilling his dream of flying. He even refused a scholarship for drama from Jackson State University (ironic, isn’t it?). Eventually, he was trained as a fighter pilot, and soon realized that he was absolutely not in love with flying. He had a kind of an epiphany and following his gut instincts, left the Air Force four years later. After that he embarked on a long journey towards stardom, one that would define him as a man and as a successful actor.