The 18th season of Dancing With the Stars boasts a diverse pop culture cast from our childhood crushes, game show host replacements and the best Real Housewife of all time. See the cast before their pop culture icon days.

The road to fame as an actor, politician or musician is not one specific, prepaved path. Still, it seems surprising to go from something as serious and life changing as the armed services to an industry where you still may slip on a uniform every day, but only to play pretend. You might be surprised by just how many big names in entertainment and public life were military men first, though. Take a look through Snakkle’s gallery and see if you recognize the men inside these uniforms.

Snakkle takes a farsighted look back at stars who rocked some serious Coke-bottle bottoms back before they discovered contacts, or that glasses are geek chic!