On this episode of Our American Stories, he played villains, soldiers, and tough guys on screen, but Sterling Hayden lived an even more dangerous life off camera. Best remembered as Captain McCluskey in The Godfather and General Jack Ripper in Dr. Strangelove, Hayden walked away from Hollywood during World War II to serve as a Marine officer and covert operative with the OSS. As part of our ongoing Hollywood Goes to War series, historian Roger McGrath shares the remarkable story of how one of Hollywood’s biggest stars became a real-life spy, running weapons, rescuing downed airmen, and risking his life behind enemy lines.

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