TopVet:
Harvey Keitel 
By
Roy Asfar,
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 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….
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