7 famous spy actors who successfully combined film and intelligence work

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

Beauty, fame and politics are always linked. Beautiful women ferret out secrets from influential admirers, popular personalities are able to transport secret documents during their travels, and famous artists, who enter the circles of the elite, arrange meetings of spies. So who are they, the real prototypes of the James Bond? Celebrities who have played not only on stage, but also in real life? Today we will declassify the names of those who have successfully combined a career in film and show business with the profession of a spy.

Walt Disney

Everyone knows this man as a legendary cartoonist, author of wonderful children's films. However, after his death, it turned out that the "dad" of Bambi, Mickey Mouse and other incredibly kind movie characters actually worked as a "snitch" - he reported on the suspicious statements of his colleagues. In those years, it was the FBI that was working to identify the communists and their sympathizers. From the declassified archives of this organization, it became known that Disney has collaborated with representatives of the federal bureau since the 40s of the last century.

Thanks to such an active informant, a blacklist of the most prominent members of the Hollywood elite was formed, which ruined the careers of many of them. During the McCarthy period, which lasted until the 60s, these people were forbidden to engage in cinematographic activities. So, the famous comedian and director Charlie Chaplin, and the Oscar-winning screenwriter Dalton Trumbo, and many other innocent people also suffered.

Cary Grant

Although the United States was in no hurry to enter World War II, the authorities were strenuously looking for accomplices of fascism in their country. The secret services and Hollywood were not spared. As it turned out, the famous actor Keri Grant turned out to be their active assistant. This star of the first magnitude, famous for his roles in vaudeville, sought out Hitler's followers among his colleagues.

He had to play a spy not only on the screen, but also in life. Among the most high-profile revelations made by this undercover agent was Errol Flynn, the sex symbol of the 1930s. This actor was accused of being connected with the Nazis, and needless to say, the case ended in a scandal. However, Flynn's connection with a representative of the German elite leaves many questions, so it is likely that the handsome actor was simply slandered.

Marlene Dietrich

The popular Hollywood star was not shy about performing in front of ordinary soldiers. As she said, she made her contribution to the fight against fascism. But the high army bosses shunned the beautiful actress. The fact is that the legendary Marlene was born and began to build a career in Germany. And the family ties of the star - her sister Elizabeth was the owner of the cafe where the concentration camp wardens dined - also helped to prejudge her. Therefore, the FBI organized a real surveillance of the actress, carefully monitoring her every step and especially her correspondence.

However, nothing suspicious was found, but the intelligence officers learned a lot of juicy nuances from her personal life. To prove her innocence to the "anti-American conspiracy", Madame von Dietrich went for a trick - she herself offered cooperation to the US authorities. Her duties included observation during trips to the front. How successfully the film star performed the tasks - now it is no longer known, since in the 80s most of the dossier on her was destroyed. Rumor has it that she was supposed to seduce Hitler himself, and then take his life.

Audrey Hepburn

The future star of "Roman Holiday" and "Breakfast at Tiffany's" met World War II as a 10-year-old girl. She lived in the Netherlands, as her mother, a British citizen, believed that among the mills and fields the girl would be much calmer than on the famous island. However, already in 1940, this territory was occupied by the Germans. The lovely Audrey, along with her friends, who also studied ballet before the war, staged performances. They managed to earn a little, and the young dancers gave all the funds from the performances to the partisans.

This and other facts from the biography of the actress became known after the publication in 2019 of the book "The Netherlands: Audrey Hepburn and the Second World War" by writer Robert Matzen. He used classified materials, as well as the diary of the star's uncle, who was shot by the Nazis. Perhaps, the author suggests that Audrey also carried out more complex assignments. But what is known for certain is that the brave girl was actually a spy and worked with representatives of the Resistance movement.

Frank Sinatra

The musician's connections with the bosses of the New York mafia have long become public knowledge - this friendship has been confirmed not only by rumors, but also by documents. However, in addition to this, the personality of an outstanding person could not be ignored by the FBI. The independent character of Frank was more than once infuriated by the director of the Bureau of Investigation, Edgar Hoover, but the special services continued to use the services of the musician.

Frank Sinatra was not directly a spy, but as a famous and wealthy man he enjoyed a number of privileges. His daughter Tina said that the famous father participated in the secret transfer of people more than once. Under the guise of his popularity, the musician escorted the people indicated by the authorities to his private plane - so fellow travelers could travel across borders unnoticed.

Harry Houdini

Another wizard who could help organize a teleport for the intelligence officers is the famous magician and master of incredible tricks, Harry Houdini. As you know, the luggage of the illusionist was not examined, which means that it could contain anything and anyone. The famous fakir moved in the highest echelons of power, he was applauded by the brightest and most influential politicians. Therefore, it was not difficult for an intelligent and enterprising businessman from Budapest to obtain the necessary information. Well, then share it with whoever you need.

It is curious that this man managed to work for several intelligence services at once: the secret police of the English Scotland Yard and the American Secret Service. The details of this dodger's work are still not fully known - it was too long ago.

Ian Fleming

The author of the cult James Bond novels did not invent his own stories at all. He knew most of the spy nuances from personal experience. He met World War II with the rank of an officer in the Royal Navy. His intelligence department took part in several high-profile operations, including solving the codes of the German military vehicle "Enigma".

From the middle of the war, the task of his unit was to capture staff documents after the liberation of the occupied territories, and from 1944 - to oversee the transmitted intelligence before the start of Operation Overlord. So, as you can see, the novels about a secret intelligence officer, a super spy, code number 007 are very thoughtful and rich in professional details.