Double Agents
Some celebrities like life in the spotlight—and others keep their private lives just that: private. And then, of course, there are those who manage to keep big secrets, even with the public eye shining right on them.
These famous people, despite their name recognition, managed to pull off the most impressive feat of all: acting as secret spies during some of history’s most intriguing moments.
Christopher Lee
Sir Christopher Lee was a renowned film actor with one of the most recognizable voices of his time. However, despite the many iconic films he appeared in—Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, the James Bond series, the Hammer Horror films—Lee’s career as a spy was just as compelling as any of his on-screen achievements.
Siebbi, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Christopher Lee (cont’d)
During WWII, Lee worked for the UK’s Special Operations Executive (SOE), which was also known by its catchier nickname, the Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare. There, he kept busy “conducting espionage, sabotage, and reconnaissance in occupied Europe against the Axis powers”.
Oh, and after the war ended, he still kept serving—this time, tracking down German war criminals so they could be punished.
Josephine Baker
The beautiful, alluring Josephine Baker dazzled Paris as an entertainer in the 1920s with her exotic “danse sauvage”. The crowds went totally wild for the young woman—but few people know about her secret double life.
Josephine Baker (cont’d)
When WWII started, Baker became a spy for the French Resistance and weaponized the trappings of her superstar lifestyle. The piles of “sheet music” that accompanied her on tours were actually coded intelligence.
She also pinned classified photographs of Axis military installments inside her underwear, since the star-struck immigration officers were always too awed by Baker’s presence to really check her belongings.
Studio Harcourt, Wikimedia commons
Cary Grant
When it comes to debonair leading men of the golden age of Hollywood, few can hold a candle to Cary Grant, who charmed audiences in films like Bringing Up Baby and The Philadelphia Story. But according to rumors, he may have been doing more than acting in Hollywood.
Cary Grant (cont’d)
Though it’s never been proven, it’s rumored that Grant worked with British intelligence to keep tabs on Hollywood figures who were suspected of having Nazi sympathies—with one alleged subject of his surveillance being heartthrob Errol Flynn.
Other sources claim he was watching Count Kurt von Haugwitz-Reventlow…whose wife, millionaire socialite Barbara Hutton, Grant later married.
Roald Dahl
The famous children’s author forever changed the game, and is behind classics like James and the Giant Peach, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and Matilda. But before he was established in his writing career, he was one of many 20-somethings in England, hoping to fight the good fight.
Hans van Dijk, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Roald Dahl (cont’d)
Dahl first enlisted in the Royal Air Force, where he moved up the ranks and became an intelligence officer, and later, an acting wing commander. But he didn’t stop there. After health problems forced him out of the position, he ended up at the British Embassy in Washington, DC, where he befriended Eleanor Roosevelt…and reported back to England about her husband FDR’s sympathies.
Carl Van Vechten, Wikimedia Commons
Coco Chanel
Coco Chanel was one of the most famous fashion designers of her day, and her brand continues to make waves in the world of couture to this very day. Chanel worked hard to establish herself and her boutique at 31 rue Cambon in Paris was a runaway hit in the inter-war years. But when WWII broke out, she couldn’t bear to leave her beloved Paris—and she ended up in an awkward spot.
Los Angeles Times, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Coco Chanel (cont’d)
Chanel ended up collaborating with the German occupiers and intelligence service, and had an affair with a German spy. At one point, she was tasked with carrying a secret message to Winston Churchill from the SS. The pair were friends—and when the war was over, he got her out of hot water and made sure she wasn’t charged as a collaborator.
Sterling Hayden
An undeniable presence on the screen, Sterling Hayden was a leading man in both Westerns like John Huston’s classic The Asphalt Jungle and noir like Stanley Kubrick’s breakout The Killing. But in his early career, still struggling to make his name, he abruptly quit, saying, “I’m no actor! I’m a sailor”!
Well, it turns out he was much more than that.
Affiliated Magazines, Wikimedia Commons
Sterling Hayden (cont’d)
Hayden enlisted in the Army during WWII, only to be discharged after breaking his ankle. He then went to the Marine Corps before ending up as an undercover agent—hello, acting skills—for the head of the Office of Strategic Services.
For his bravery during WWII, he was heavily awarded, including the Silver Star and the Order of Merit. And of course, on his return to Hollywood, there was no shortage of parts for him.
Los Angeles Daily News, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Ian Fleming
Fleming is best known as the creator of James Bond, penning 12 Bond novels and two short story collections in his lifetime—not to mention, the kids classic Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. So, where’d he find the inspiration for the world’s most famous spy? In real life, of course…
Ian Fleming (cont’d)
During WWII, Fleming worked for Britain’s Naval Intelligence Division and played an integral part in the 30 Assault Unit and T-Force, important intelligence units. He also helped plan Operation Goldeneye—sound familiar?
Julia Child
Julia Child didn’t just bring the art of French cooking to the masses in the 20th century—she was also America’s first celebrity chef. Her distinctive voice, unforgettable quirks, larger-than-life personality, and skills in the kitchen made her a legend…but as it turns out, she could also be quite unassuming when she wanted to.
Lynn Gilbert, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Julia Child (cont’d)
With one of the most unique voices we’ve ever heard and standing at 6’2” tall, Child didn’t exactly fade into the background—but it was actually her height that landed her at the US Office of Strategic Services (OSS) during WWII. Child was too tall to serve in the women’s branches of the Army of Navy.
She started as a typist but immediately worked her way up to researcher for the Secret Intelligence Division. And that’s not even the most incredible part.
Julia Child (cont’d)
Child then was promoted to the OSS Emergency Sea Rescue Equipment Section, where she was tasked with researching and coming up with a way for divers to repel sharks, which could set off U-boats. Her experiments were actually her first incursion into the world of cuisine.
Later, she worked in Ceylon and China keeping track of top secret communication—all before she became one of the most famous chefs of the 20th century.
John Wayne
What Julia Child is to cooking, John Wayne is to Westerns. The iconic star needs no introduction—but there are some aspects of his life that remain more obscure than others.
Hugo van Gelderen, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
John Wayne (cont’d)
While Julia Child’s entire OSS file was declassified in 2008, no such documents have ever surfaced regarding John Wayne’s rumored involvement with the intelligence organization. However, there have long been rumors that he worked for them gathering intelligence during WWII—probably due to the fact that they once publicly thanked him for his service.
US Army Pictorial Center, Wikimedia Commons
Harry Houdini
The master illusionist and escape artist broke out of handcuffs, straightjackets, and chains—sometimes while trapped underwater. Houdini was wildly popular and known as the “Handcuff King” in the early 20th century, touring Europe and impressing massive crowds with his skills…but that wasn’t all he was doing.
Unknown author, Wikimedia Commons
Harry Houdini (cont’d)
If anything, Houdini might have been the most obvious choice for spy on this list, considering his set of skills, but that didn’t stop him. Early in his career, he attracted the attention of William Melville, who went on to be the first chief of the British Secret Service Bureau.
Melville recruited Houdini to report on troop movement in Germany and Russia in the years before WWI.
Unknown author, Wikimedia Commons
John Steinbeck
Steinbeck’s East of Eden, Of Mice and Men, and The Grapes of Wrath are some of the most important works of American literature of all time. In 1962, he won the Nobel Prize for literature, further underlining his importance as an author. But that’s not all he got up to.
John Steinbeck (cont’d)
During WWII, Steinbeck worked as a war correspondent—but he also found time for a little work with the Office of Strategic Services. Later, the OSS became the CIA, and declassified documents show that in 1952, Steinbeck volunteered to help in some way during a tour he’d planned in the Soviet Union, though the documents don’t reveal what he actually did or if he followed through.
McFadden Publications, Wikimedia Commons
Harpo Marx
Harpo was best known as the Marx Brother who never talks. His persona of the silent lunatic is one of the most instantly recognizable characters in movie history, but he was so much more than just a clown.
Vandamm Studio, Wikimedia Commons
Harpo Marx (cont’d)
In the 1930s, Marx was sent to the Soviet Union as a performer and goodwill ambassador—but he was actually on a secret mission. Ambassador William Christian Bullitt Jr recruited him to smuggle documents to and from the US embassy in Moscow. He had these documents taped to his leg for 10 entire days.
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