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The Daily Insight

What did Stephen Lang do before acting? Was Stephen Lang in the military?

Author

James Bradley

Published Feb 12, 2026

Lang was born in New York to Theresa and notable businessman and philanthropist Eugene Lang.

He has an older brother named David who worked as an executive at REFAC, a business his father founded in 1952, and a younger sister named Jane who works as an attorney and an activist.

Lang began his education in Queens before completing it at the George School, a residential school for Quakers in Pennsylvania.

He graduated from Swarthmore College with a degree in English literature in 1973.

Years later, in 2010, Swarthmore College bestowed an honorary degree upon him in recognition of his illustrious career in theater, television, and cinema.

What did Stephen Lang do before acting?

Stephen Lang began his acting career in theatre productions, and in 1984 he played Harold in the production of Death of a Salesman.

Was Stephen Lang in the military?

While Lang never served in the military, he has spent his whole career studying the inner lives of veterans like Fred Parass of the VFW.