One answer is simply that ANYONE who is adored and admired by millions of people, almost by definition, has lived an extraordinary life. That does not mean that they were necessarily better people, but that’s a different question. They almost all had signifiant talent, but there are millions of people who have talent but never become, say, a Cary Grant or Marilyn Monroe. It’s usually talent combined with — at some point — deciding to focus intensely on their craft… and then getting a few lucky breaks along the way.
But what about the actors who — quite apart from the films or plays they did — were extraordinary for their life generally? This is a pretty small list. Two names that come to mind are Jimmy Stewart, who really did win an Air Medal in World War II and it was not based on being a star. He earned it. And Ronald Reagan who (despite just doing training films in WWII) did become President of the United States, whether you voted for him or not.
I might mention one actress in particular in addition to Marilyn Monroe — Hedy Lamarr — a beautiful actress who came up in an invention that was used in World War II. In fact it was an invention that would someday help make Wi-Fi possible.
For a really good answer, though, I have to echo an answer someone already cited: Sir Christopher Lee. Educated at Eton, studied Greek and Latin (I admire him for that: I myself know “little Latin and less Greek”), became an accomplished RAF officer, and was an intelligence officer in WWII, doing the kinds of derring-do in WWII that Ian Fleming would someday write about. Lee was a real-life hero before he made his first film.
And of all the “Lord of the Rings” cast, he was the only one who read the entire trilogy, every single year, for many years. He loved Tolkien and could speak with real authority as a Tolkien expert.
As an actor, he had a wonderful career, doing an excellent job of playing Count Dracula SEVEN TIMES to good reviews… He appeared in several of the greatest film franchises:
- James Bond (where he played Scaramouche in “the Man with the Golden Gun”)
- Star Wars (Count Dooku in the prequels)
- The Lord of the Rings
So, Christopher Lee is a great answer, but I’m not the first to mention him.
I might also mention Noel Coward, an actor of such writing ability that he would’ve been remembered for his plays alone:
- Private Lives
- Hay Fever
- Blithe Spirit
….and a number of other successful plays. “Private Lives” and “Blithe Spirit” are STILL performed frequently by local theaters, regional theaters, colleges, and high schools.
Noel Coward was one of the most famous celebrities who was partly out of the closet early in the 20th Century. Despite not being effeminate (at least not by British standards), he came across as elegant, stylish, more or less masculine, but his private lifestyle was the worst kept secret in England and in Hollywood. Unlike Oscar Wilde, however, he had the English virtue of being discreet — which given the time and place, was probably wise.
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