21. Guinness’ wartime service combined acting with clandestine missions
After the invasion of Sicily, Guinness landed troops on the island of Elba, and Normandy. He also ferried British agents and supplies to Tito’s partisans in Yugoslavia. During the war, he was allowed a leave of absence to appear onstage in the play Flare Path, about the RAF’s Bomber Command. Guinness’ wartime experiences led him to contemplate becoming a priest, but fortunately for the stage and film and millions of fans, he decided to continue his acting career.