R. Lee Ermey

Birthday: 24 March 1944, Emporia, Kansas, USA

Birth Name: Ronald Lee Ermey

Height: 183 cm

A talented character actor known for his military roles, Ronald Lee Ermey was in the United States Marine Corps for 11 years. He rose to the rank of Staff Sergeant, and later was bestowed the honorary rank of Gunnery Sergeant by the Marine Corps, after he served 14 months in Vietnam and later did two tours in Okinawa, Japan. After injuries forced him to retire from the Corps, he moved to the Phillipines, enrolling in the University of Manila, where he studied Criminology and Drama. He appeared in several Filipino films before being cast as a helicopter pilot in Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now (1979). Due to his Vietnam experiences, Coppola also utilized him as a technical adviser. He got a featured role in Sidney J. Furie's The Boys in Company C (1978), playing a drill instructor. Ermey worked with Furie again in Purple Hearts (1984).However, his most famous (or infamous) role came as Gunnery Sergeant Hartman in Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket (1987), for which he was nominated for a Golden Globe. He did win the best supporting actor award from The Boston Society of Film Critics. Since then, he has appeared in numerous character roles in such films as Leaving Las Vegas (1995), Se7en (1995) and Dead Man Walking (1995). However, Ermey prefers comedy to drama, and has a comedic role in Saving Silverman (2001). Ronald Lee Ermey continues to be one of the best character actors in the business, and you can bet that when his name appears in a movie's credits, he is going to be top notch in his role. Show less «

There have been a lot of changes in recruit training in the past twenty years.

It's been a pretty fun ride, to tell you the truth.

Kubrick's films have life - they just never die.

In order to be a good actor, I'm a firm believer that you need to bring something to the table.

There's a lot of whiners in every crowd.

I firmly believe that you live and learn, and if you don't learn from past mistakes, then you need t...Show more »

I firmly believe that you live and learn, and if you don't learn from past mistakes, then you need to be drug out and shot. Show less «

I play well with everybody.

For me, it's an honor for the military to ask me to go to Iraq, Afghanistan, or GITMO. I'm happy to ...Show more »

For me, it's an honor for the military to ask me to go to Iraq, Afghanistan, or GITMO. I'm happy to go. Show less «

The biggest problem was the politicians knew nothing about fighting a war.

Every character I've ever played, I always try to take him right to the edge and not allow him to fa...Show more »

Every character I've ever played, I always try to take him right to the edge and not allow him to fall over, but directors have a tendency to pull me back a little bit. Show less «

Back in those days intimidation was the greatest tool the drill instructor had. Without that tool, h...Show more »

Back in those days intimidation was the greatest tool the drill instructor had. Without that tool, he would not have had control. Show less «

We had times in '66 and '67 when we would pick up a platoon of privates out of the receiving barrack...Show more »

We had times in '66 and '67 when we would pick up a platoon of privates out of the receiving barracks the week before we even graduated the platoon that we were on! Show less «

I always love to come to Austin.

I don't have to be concerned about everybody else's character.

I got to write most of everything I said.

Even though I disagree with many of the changes, when I see the privates graduate at the end of the ...Show more »

Even though I disagree with many of the changes, when I see the privates graduate at the end of the day, when they walk off that drill field at the end of the ceremony, they are still fine privates; outstanding, well motivated privates. Show less «

Without discipline, there is no Marine Corps.

That's all I cared about too, was getting it right.

I go the VA Hospital when I have a problem and the doctor jumps on me.

Kubrick ate it up. He loved it. He just let me go crazy.

Communications are better now than in my Vietnam days.

There was a huge, tremendous amount of disabled veterans and the Veteran's Administration just wasn'...Show more »

There was a huge, tremendous amount of disabled veterans and the Veteran's Administration just wasn't geared up for it. I know for a fact that it's getting better and better. Show less «

You'd be surprised how many kids and young people come to the website and send me email that they ar...Show more »

You'd be surprised how many kids and young people come to the website and send me email that they are actually going into the Marine Corp because of something that I said or did. Show less «

I'm never, like I say, I'm never happy, I'm never satisfied, it's never good enough.

I was stationed at a marine recruit depot in San Diego from 1965 to 1967.

I don't have any respect at all for the scum-bags who went to Canada to avoid the draft or to avoid ...Show more »

I don't have any respect at all for the scum-bags who went to Canada to avoid the draft or to avoid doing their fair share. Show less «

Drill instructors worked seven days a week, fifteen to seventeen hours a day in many cases, with no ...Show more »

Drill instructors worked seven days a week, fifteen to seventeen hours a day in many cases, with no time off in between platoons. Show less «

Everybody respects the Vietnam Veterans of America.

When you try to find funding for a VVA function, it doesn't seem like it's any trouble at all. Peopl...Show more »

When you try to find funding for a VVA function, it doesn't seem like it's any trouble at all. People come out of the woodwork with their money to help out because we went over and fought a war. Show less «

I try to get over to Iraq and Afghanistan as much as I can.

The drill instructor must have total and complete control. Mindless obedience is what he's after.

The best part about the movie, and everybody seems to rave about it, is the boot camp part.

America's trying to do the best for its veterans.

I disagree with a lot of those changes, however at the end of the day - I go down to recruit graduat...Show more »

I disagree with a lot of those changes, however at the end of the day - I go down to recruit graduation at least once or twice a year. Show less «

Playing the good guy is tough because you know as well as I do, in real life, you have to watch your...Show more »

Playing the good guy is tough because you know as well as I do, in real life, you have to watch your P's and Q's and conduct yourself in a respectable manner if you expect to have friends. Show less «

I got space from Travis Air Force Base, went back to the Philippine Islands and made it a point to m...Show more »

I got space from Travis Air Force Base, went back to the Philippine Islands and made it a point to meet the only American casting director in the Philippines. I was off and running. Show less «

I spend a lot of time with my characters.

Back in the old Corp, we weren't training those privates to infiltrate into the peacetime Marine Cor...Show more »

Back in the old Corp, we weren't training those privates to infiltrate into the peacetime Marine Corp. We were training those privates to go to Vietnam. Show less «

The bad news motivated the drill instructors that much more.

It's my firm conviction that when Uncle Sam calls, by God we go, and we do the best that we can.

I've never had to spend any time in the VA hospital, so I really can't speak for those guys.

I honestly do feel that I am a role model for young people.