Surprising Superstars and Leading Men Who Once Drove Lorries

You may have pondered the question of just exactly what Aragon did before becoming ruler of the Middle Earth. You may have speculated as to exactly what James Bond drove before acquiring his Aston Martin, complete with ejector seat.

Or perhaps not. Maybe you have better things to do than ruminate about the humble beginnings of famous and fictional people.

So why do we bring it up?

Well you may have a clue as to the direction this discussion is headed. You may also have been clued in by the title of the article.

That being the case, let’s get on with it. We’d like to tell you about some famous people who had trained to drive HGVS (before becoming famous, naturally).

Who was wounded in action driving a lorry?

Charles Bronson was the dirtiest of the Dirty Dozen. He was also rather dirty in The Great Escape (from digging tunnels). In Death Wish, he dealt out well-deserved justice with great aplomb. Of course, all those accomplishments were fictional, and before they happened he had a very grand real accomplishment. He won a Purple Heart during WWII for injuries incurred in the line of duty. What was his duty? He drove a lorry.

What Scottish actor had a license to drive a lorry?

Not only was Sean Connery a Scottish lorry driver, so was his father before him. Before 007 acquired a license to kill, Connery had a Scottish license to drive a lorry. This was right after he served his time in the Royal Navy during the 1950s.

What Danish actor delivered goods with a lorry?

Before beginning his prolific film career, which includes Witness, Indian Runner, Hidalgo and most famously Aragorn in the Lord of the Rings film trilogy, Viggo Mortenson drove a lorry. This was while he was still in his home country of Denmark during the 1980s, just after graduating from school. He delivered goods long distance across Denmark.

What Irish actor hauled Guinness with a forklift?

Before becoming one of the most respected actors around the world, Liam Neeson was a skilled forklift operator for Guinness. Perhaps this was the particular “set of skills” he bragged of in the movie, Taken. We do wonder if he attained these skills via Yoda’s tutelage.

What blockbuster director was once a trucker?

You may think it’s Steven Spielberg because his filmography contains a 70s truck driver thriller called Duel, but you’d be wrong. Producer/Director/Writer James Cameron (Titanic, Avatar, The Terminator) was a real live truck driver before he shot to fame with scripts he had penned on the road. He drove a big rig all across the USA.

What southern US “king” never called a truck a lorry?

If you mention “the King” in the southern United States, everyone knows who you mean. It comes as no surprise to true blue Elvis Presley fans that their down-to-earth idol once drove a truck. They might be surprised to hear that Presley had been told he had no talent and should stick with truck driving. Fortunately, he did not take this advice to heart. He got his big break at Sun Studios while he was still driving for Crown Electric Service.

Is lorry driving a path to fame and fortune?

Driving a lorry may not be a path to stardom, but if fame is in your future it’s clear you won’t do yourself any harm by learning to drive a truck! After all, if it’s good enough for this dazzling collection of superstars and leading men, it’s good enough for you, right?