Veteran & Spy & Actor Sterling Hayden - A tortured life of adventure

Sterling Walter Hayden was an American actor. A leading man for most of his career, he specialized in Westerns and film noir throughout the 1950s, in films such as John Huston's The Asphalt Jungle, Nicholas Ray's Johnny Guitar, and Stanley Kubrick's The Killing.

After his two Paramount film roles, Hayden left Hollywood to fight in World War II. He enlisted in the Army and was sent to Scotland for training, but broke his ankle and was discharged. He then enlisted in the Marines under a false name. He was transferred for duty as an undercover agent with William J. "Wild Bill" Donovan's Office of the Coordinator of Information. Hamilton remained there after it became the Office of Strategic Services (OSS)