11 Famous People You Didn’t Know Were Spies

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11 Famous People You Didn’t Know Were Spies

It turns out that celebrities, while hardly under the radar, and quite adept at using their fame to get away with espionage.

By Daniel Bonfiglio

Published 6 months ago in Wow

The biggest a superpower a spy can have is the ability to avoid suspicion. It turns out that celebrities, while hardly under the radar, are quite adept at using their fame to conduct espionage.

Here are 11 famous people who got up to more than just what they're known for.

1
Harry Houdini
A master escape artist sounds like a perfect fit as a spy, and William Melville, head of an intelligence section at the British War Office, thought so too. As Houdini brought his act around the world, he reported back to Melville, especially regarding German and Russian troop movement leading up to World War I

2
Julia Child
Before becoming a world famous chef, Child worked directly for the OSS where she was deployed to China and Sri Lanks as Chief of the OSS Registry.

3
Sterling Hayden
In the early 1940s, Hayden was a classic Hollywood heartthrob, but like all men of his time, he went and served his duty. Under fake identities, he set up secret shipping operations in Italy, and parachuted behind enemy lines in Croatia. He earned the rank of captain, was awarded the Silver Star, and returned to acting when the war was over.

4
Ian Fleming
Ian Fleming didn’t just write the most famous spy stories in history, he lived them. As a Lieutenant Commander RNVR in the naval intelligence division, Fleming based many of his stories and characters on his own experiences. He was responsible for planning 78many deception missions during the war, both successful and unsuccessful.

5
Harpo Marx
While the US and Russia were still on good terms in 1933, Marx went to Moscow as part of a tour. But while he was there, he used an envelope taped to his leg to smuggle information to the American embassy. Who knew you don’t have to talk to be a spy?

6
Coco Chanel
Although the famous designer was French, she had a long affair with a German agent, and appeared to side with the Germans at times. She was recruited by a rogue German general to try and get Winston Churchill to sign a peace treaty in neutral Madrid.

7
Josephine Baker
While Josephine Baker was busy becoming a world famous entertainer in Paris, she was also secretly working for the French resistance. Using her fame to gather information, Baker communicated her findings using invisible ink on sheet music. She was awarded the Croix de guerre for her efforts.

8
Cary Grant
One of Hollywood’s all time leading men was also a leading spy - allegedly. Claimed that Grant exposed Errol Flynn as a German agent, but other sources claim it was actually his secretary. Grant did check up on Count Kurt von Haugwitz-Hardenberg-Reventlow, and although the Count seemed clean, Grant married his wife Barbara Woolworth Hutton when they divorced.

9
John Wayne
There is a letter to John Wayne from the Office of Strategic Services thanking him for his non-specific “service.” The actor also claims he gathered intelligence in 1943 and 1944. The details however, are lost to history.

10
Roald Dahl
After serving as a World War II fighter pilot for England, Dahl was stationed in the British embassy in DC. While there, he reported back to England on FDR’s feelings, thanks to his friendship with Elanor.

11
John Steinbeck
The famous American author actually volunteered to spy during a trip to the Mediterranean for Collier's Magazine, during the Cold War. However, the details are hard to come by.