Ronald Lee Ermey (March 24, 1944 – April 15, 2018) was an American actor and U.S. Marine drill instructor. He achieved fame for his role as Gunnery Sergeant Hartman in the 1987 film Full Metal Jacket, which earned him a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
Ermey was often typecast in authority figure roles, such as Mayor Tilman in the film Mississippi Burning (1988), Bill Bowerman in Prefontaine (1997), Sheriff Hoyt in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003) and its prequel The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning (2006), Jimmy Lee Farnsworth in Fletch Lives (1989), a police captain in Seven (1995), plastic army men leader Sarge in the first three films of the Toy Story franchise (1995–2010), Major "Maddogg" Madison in Rocket Power, and John House in House.
On television, Ermey hosted two programs on the History Channel: Mail Call, in which he answered viewers' questions about various military issues both modern and historic; Ermey also hosted GunnyTime on the Outdoor Channel.
Early life
Ronald Lee Ermey was born in Emporia, Kansas, on March 24, 1944, to John Edward (1924–2016) and Betty (née Pantle) Ermey (1926–2004). A few years after his birth, John moved the family (including Ermey and his five brothers) to a small farm outside Kansas City, Kansas. Then, in 1958, when Ermey was 14, his father moved the family to a rural home between Zillah, Washington, and Granger, Washington.
As a teenager, Ermey was an admitted "troublemaker and a bit of a hell-raiser" and frequently got into trouble. In 1961, when Ermey was 17, Betty took Ermey to a judge in an attempt to correct his behavior. The judge gave the young Ermey a choice between military service or jail; Ermey chose military service.
Ermey then served in Marine Wing Support Group 17 at Marine Corps Air Station Futenma on Okinawa, Japan. On May 17, 2002, Ermey received an honorary promotion to Gunnery Sergeant (E-7) by Commandant of the Marine Corps General James L. Jones.
thumb|Ermey joins Santa Claus at the [[Toys for Tots donation box, Naval Medical Center San Diego (2008)]]
Ermey regularly took the opportunity to speak with new recruits, visiting the Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego in San Diego, California, and the Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island. An episode of the History Channel Mail Call was filmed at MCRD San Diego. He also acted as a spokesperson for Toys for Tots. While there, Ermey was cast in his first film role, playing a Marine drill instructor in The Boys in Company C (1978). Then, while serving as a technical advisor to director Francis Ford Coppola, Ermey was also cast as a First Air Cavalry helicopter pilot in one scene in Apocalypse Now (1979). As with The Boys in Company C and Apocalypse Now, Ermey was initially hired by the production only as a technical advisor.
Ermey recorded several 30-minute sessions on videocassette with the first casting choice for Hartman, Tim Colceri, in which they hurled insults at a group of extras. Kubrick had intended these rehearsals as a venue for Colceri to learn how drill instructors could remove the civilian mindset from the personalities of new recruits. Ermey, realizing that Kubrick was watching the tapes he recorded with Colceri, treated the recordings as an audition for the role of Hartman. To this end, Ermey not only continued berating recruits long after Colceri's 30-minute practice session had ended, but had stagehands pelt him with tennis balls and oranges as he did it, showing a real drill instructor's level of concentration while at work.
Seeking authenticity for the war movie, Kubrick allowed Ermey to write, edit and improvise his own dialogue. His was the only performance in a Kubrick film that had a significant proportion of improvised dialogue, with Ermey writing more than half of his dialogue. Kubrick later praised Ermey as an excellent performer. Despite the technical demands of Ermey's extended dialogue scenes — his character has by far the most lines in the film — the actor sometimes satisfied Kubrick after only three takes, because he was prepared. This was extremely unusual on a Kubrick production, where the director would regularly demand 40 takes. In some circumstances, Kubrick would demand considerably more takes, claiming that actors were focusing more on remembering their lines than delivering believable emotions. Ermey's performance was extremely well-received and he was nominated for a Golden Globe Award as Best Supporting Actor.
Later films
Ermey eventually appeared in about 60 films, often in roles of authority figures similar to his character in Full Metal Jacket. These include Mayor Tilman in Mississippi Burning (1988), Sergeant Major Bill Hafner in The Siege of Firebase Gloria (also a Vietnam film, 1989), Jimmy Lee Farnsworth in Fletch Lives (1989), General Kramer in Toy Soldiers (1991), a police captain in Se7en (1995), a businessman named Benedict in Savate (1995), the ghost of a drill instructor in The Frighteners (1996), Bill Bowerman in Prefontaine (1997), Frank Martin in the remake of Willard (2003), and Sheriff Hoyt in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003) and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning (2006). He also appeared in Sommersby, Naked Gun : The Final Insult, On Deadly Ground, Murder in the First, Leaving Las Vegas, Dead Man Walking, Switchback, Life, Saving Silverman, The Salton Sea, Man of the House, Best of the Best 3: No Turning Back (uncredited in a key supporting role), and The Watch. His voice was also briefly heard through a voice disguise machine in Recess: School's Out (2001). while others involved World War II secrets, and others focused on elements of medieval warfare. The set consisted of a military tent, other military gear and weapons, and a World War II jeep. According to a 2005 episode of Mail Call filmed at Whiteman Air Force Base, he was the 341st person to fly in the B-2 stealth bomber.
Ermey hosted a second History Channel program entitled Lock n' Load with R. Lee Ermey (2009), which discussed the history of various weapons used by militaries of today.
Ermey served as host of GunnyTime, a show that debuted on Outdoor Channel in 2015.
Ermey guest-starred on a number of shows, usually appearing in a commanding military role. The shows included Kim Possible, The Simpsons, Roughnecks, Family Guy, SpongeBob SquarePants, The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy, Rocket Power, The Angry Beavers, Fillmore!, Miami Vice, Human Target, All Dogs Go to Heaven: The Series, Rough Riders, Cracker, My Life as a Teenage Robot, High Incident (as a retired USMC Major), and Invader Zim. On December 14, 1994, Ermey played a sheriff in Tales from the Crypt, season six, episode nine, "Staired in Horror". In 1995, he appeared unbilled as Sergeant Major Frank Bougus, USMC in the pilot episode of Space: Above and Beyond. Ermey also played the role of Reverend Patrick Findley, a minister, on The X-Files season 3, episode 11, "Revelations".
Ermey also made guest appearances on the television drama House, playing the role of Dr. Gregory House's father,
Video games
In 1993, Ermey played Lyle The Handyman in the full motion video game Mega-CD/Sega CD game Double Switch. In 1996, he was the player character's superior officer in Earthsiege 2.
Several characters have made references to Ermey and the character of Hartman. In the game Fallout 3, a recruitable companion is named Sergeant RL-3, a modified military robot with a personality very similar to Ermey (the companion's name is a reference to Ermey's initials wherein the 3 is leetspeak for the letter E). In the World of Warcraft: Cataclysm expansion there is a character named "Lieutenant Emry" that speaks some of Ermey's signature lines from Full Metal Jacket. In Half-Life: Opposing Force, the drill sergeant from the initial boot camp stage had dialogue and mannerisms very similar to Ermey's character in Full Metal Jacket. He can be seen giving a service announcement for Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas, demanding that viewers be quiet during the film. Ermey was a board member of the National Rifle Association of America.
Personal life
Ermey married his wife, Nila, in 1975. They had four children and remained married until his death in 2018. Ermey affectionally referred to his wife as "Mrs. Gunny" frequently in Lock n' Load with R. Lee Ermey.
Business venture
Ermey was a co-founder of Bravery Brewing in Lancaster, California.
Military appearances
thumb|Ermey visits the [[USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7)|USS Iwo Jima as a Morale, Welfare and Recreation event for deployed troops during the holidays. (2008)]]
On May 17, 2002, Ermey received an honorary post-service promotion to Gunnery sergeant from the Commandant of the Marine Corps General James L. Jones in recognition of his continuing support to Americans in military service.
Ermey conducted morale tours, visiting United States troops in locations such as Al Kut, Iraq, and Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, in which he filmed parts for his television show Mail Call. While at Bagram Airfield, Ermey held a USO-type show in which he portrayed GySgt Hartman and conducted a comedy routine. Ermey also did the same at Doha, Qatar and Camp Doha, Kuwait City, Kuwait, in 2003. Ermey said in a 2015 interview that he supported Texas Senator Ted Cruz for president. Ermey said, "You know what, I just watched Ted Cruz – I mean, what a tough act to follow. I'm not going to tell you who I'm going to vote for, but I'm going to let you guess [...] and the first two guesses don't count!" He similarly praised presidential candidate Donald Trump in 2016.
Ermey was a supporter of the Second Amendment and a board member of the National Rifle Association.
Death
Ermey died at a hospital in Santa Monica, California, from complications related to pneumonia on the morning of April 15, 2018, at age 74. His funeral was held in Arlington National Cemetery on January 18, 2019.
Awards and decorations
thumb|upright|R. Lee Ermey during the [[United States Marine Corps birthday#Celebration|United States Marine Corps birthday ball, November 2006]]
Ermey was retroactively awarded the Marine Corps Drill Instructor Ribbon after he retired from the military due to his prior service as a Marine Corps recruit training instructor. Ermey's military awards included:
|-
| Love Is a Gun
| Frank Deacon
|
|-
| rowspan="9" | 1995
| Murder in the First
| Judge Clawson
|
|-
| Savate
| Benedict
| Short<br />Uncredited
|-
| Best of the Best 3: No Turning Back
| Preacher Brian
| Uncredited
|-
| Seven
| Police Captain
|
|-
| Leaving Las Vegas
| Conventioneer
|
|-
| Under the Hula Moon
| Lieutenant Colonel J.P. McIntire
|
|-
| Toy Story
| Sarge
| Voice
|-
| Dead Man Walking
| Clyde Percy
|
|-
| Kidnapped
| Frank
| rowspan="2" | Television film
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1996
| Soul of the Game
| Wilkie
|-
| The Frighteners
| The Late Master Sergeant Hiles
|
|-
| rowspan="5" | 1997
| Prefontaine
| Bill Bowerman
|
|-
| Dead Men Can't Dance
| Senator Pullman T. Fowler
|
|-
| Weapons of Mass Distraction
| Billy Paxton
| Television film
|-
| Switchback
| Sheriff Buck Olmstead
|
|-
| Starship Troopers
| News Announcer
| Voice, Uncredited
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1998
| The Sender
| Colonel Rosewater
|
|-
| Gunshy
| Jerry
|
|-
| rowspan="5" | 1999
| You Know My Name
| Nix
| Television film
|-
| Life
| Older Sheriff Pike
|
|-
| Avalanche
| Gary
|
|-
| The Apartment Complex
| Frank Stanton
| Television
|-
| Toy Story 2
| Sarge
| Voice
|}
Video games
Source:
- Avenue N in Palmdale, CA was successfully petitioned to be renamed "R. Lee Ermey Avenue" in memoriam of the Antelope Valley resident. On 10 November 2023, at 1110 hours, an eastbound stretch of Avenue N east of Sierra Highway was officially opened as the R. Lee Ermey Musical Highway. By driving over the grooved pavement at 45 mph, the road will play 30 seconds of the Marine Corps Hymn.