10 War Movie Actors Who Were Actually There

Richard Todd is one of the most interesting examples of a WW2 veteran who took roles in films set during the conflict. Another theatrically trained actor, like Guinness, Todd enlisted in the British Army following Britain's declaration of war and trained as an officer at Sandhurst, surviving multiple close calls before he eventually joined the Parachute Regiment.

Todd took part in one of the most important military operations conducted during the war in D-Day, comprising a part of the Allied Airborne assault that landed behind enemy lines prior to the Naval landings that took place on Gold, Juno, Sword, and Omaha beaches on the morning of June 6. Todd parachuted in following the initial glider-borne landings and was tasked with supporting Major John Howard's troops at Pegasus Bridge, fighting off multiple German attempts to break through until they were relieved by the advancing British infantry.

Strangely enough, Todd actually revisited the Battle of Pegasus Bridge in his movie career, portraying Howard in the Darryl F. Zanuck-produced 1962 epic, The Longest Day, which provided a comprehensive depiction of the Normandy Invasion from its build-up to the successful Allied breakout from the beaches. Because Todd portrayed Howard, another actor, Patrick Jordan (uncredited in the film), was cast in the role of Todd - a unique situation few war films of the period ever had to broach.

Todd was a prolific WW2 movie actor, starring in multiple films before and after The Longest Day, the most iconic of which was The Dam Busters, where he played Wing Commander Guy Gibson.