Harvey Keitel

Special to Veterans Advantage

As a star of ABC’s new series "Life on Mars," the Marine Corps’ very own Harvey Keitel takes on an exciting role and for the first time, appears as a regular on a TV series. True to the Corps motto of Semper Fidelis, he carries with him a dedication to his fellow jarheads that has never wavered.

Brooklyn-born Keitel, the son of European immigrants and small business owners, joined the Marines at the age of 16. His experience became the antidote to a rough-and-tumble adolescence, and the beginning of a lifelong commitment to the ideas and ideals of the Corps.

Growing up as something of a delinquent, Keitel’s truancy was put to an end when he was sent to Lebanon with the Marines. Upon his return, he sold shoes and nurtured an interest in acting. It’s a lifestyle that set the stage for many of the gritty roles he performed in early Martin Scorsese films.

Studying with the famed Lee Strasberg and Stella Adler, he managed some bit parts in plays Off-Off-Broadway. Then at the age of 26, he answered an ad by a student director at New York University named Martin Scorsese and was cast in Scorsese’s thesis film. When the young director began to make his mark with such films as "Mean Streets," "Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore," and "Taxi Driver," Harvey Keitel landed movie roles and began to be noticed for his solid performances.

This multifaceted actor has since played in over two dozen films, earning a reputation as an actor who can perform in comedy as well as serious drama. Earning Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for his supporting role in the 1991 film "Bugsy," his other films of note include "Pulp Fiction," The Piano", "Wise Guys," Thelma and Louise," "Cop Land," and "Reservoir Dogs."

In "Life on Mars," Keitel plays a homicide detective known for his any-means-necessary approach in the show. "Life on Mars," part science fiction and part detective drama, the popular series is based on the British series of the same title, about a cop who, after a car crash, wakes up in the 1970s.

ALWAYS A MARINE

Gerry Byrne and Harvey Keitel Photo: Wendy Moger-Bross

In recent years, Keitel and Veterans Advantage Advisory Board member Gerry Byrne have co-chaired the Marine Corps Birthday Gala, raising funds for Fisher House, the Intrepid Museum Foundation and Toys for Tots. He is famous among the Corps community for his deep dedication to his fellow Marines.

"You can pretty much tell the people who do understand. They don’t understand our experience, but they understand their own, which might have a parallel place. You’re a Marine. I am [a Marine]. Our motto is Semper Fidelis. That says it all. Always faithful. That’s something you’re not going to find often in life," he once said in a Hollywood industry interview.

For more on this year’s Marine Corps ball event, click here….

Harvey Keitel's filmography includes countless revered movies. Among them are Inglorious Basterds, Pulp Fiction, Taxi Driver, The Piano, Reservoir Dogs, and many others.