10 Actors You Forgot Had Minor Roles In War Movies

For nearly 60 years, Dr. Strangelove has maintained its reputation as peak comedy, peak war drama, and among Stanley Kubrick's finest pictures. It's so hilarious and quotable, it's one of those movies that never loses its appeal upon repeated viewings.

But even if you've seen Dr. Strangelove a dozen times, you mightn't notice it stars Darth Vader himself, James Earl Jones. Making his film debut, Jones portrays the pilot flying the B-52 bombardier, Lieutenant Lothar Zogg. But since viewers aren't used to seeing Jones looking so young (he was only 33 at the time), it's hard to recognise him. It doesn't help that most of his face is covered by a helmet and pilot equipment.

However, the main reason most people don't remember Jones is because Slim Pickens, who shares all the same scenes, steals the show as the zany pilot, Major "King" Kong. Because of his larger-than-life attitude and the fact that he rides a nuclear bomb like a horse, Pickens performed a feat no one thought was conceivable - he made you forget James Earl Jones was in a scene.