'Full Metal Jacket' actor R. Lee Ermey dies at age 74

[crash325]

R. Lee Ermey, a former Marine Corps drill instructor known to millions of moviegoers as the sadistic Gunnery Sergeant Hartman in Stanley Kubrick's "Full Metal Jacket," died Sunday morning, according to his longtime manager. He was 74.

In a statement posted on Twitter, Bill Rogin said Ermey had died due to complications from pneumonia.

In his role as a drill instructor breaking in new Marines at boot camp on Parris Island, S.C., Ermey roared his way into film history by berating his unfortunate charges.

"I've had a very fruitful career. I've done over 70 feature films," he said. "I've done over 200 episodes of [Outdoor Channel series 'GunnyTime']... and then [Hollywood] found out that I'm a conservative."

"Do you realize I have not done a movie in five to six years? Why? Because I was totally blackballed by the ... liberals in Hollywood," he alleged. "They can destroy you. They're hateful people [who] don't just not like you, they want to take away your livelihood ... that's why I live up in the desert on a dirt road ... I don't have to put up with their crap."

'Full Metal Jacket' actor R. Lee Ermey dies at age 74 | Fox News

 

[Stimw]

He was great!
He gave anyone who went through Basic Training FLASHBACKS!!
Including me.

 

[Oldoak]

He was great!
He gave anyone who went through Basic Training FLASHBACKS!!
Including me.

And me. FLASHBACKS is right! Began my Basic Training at Paris Island just two weeks after graduating from high school. One of the proudest days of all my life, Graduation Day at Paris Island.

Semper Fi

 

[acraiger]

One of those movies you can watch over and over. Think I've watched it over 10 times.

 

[k0ua]

How many of you know that R. Lee had a very small, but a speaking part in Apocalypse Now" ?

 

[Industrial Toys]

Apparently he took that part in FMJ and ran with it. A writer did not put those wonderful words in his mouth.

Sad thing bout getting old. More and more and more people you know, knew or liked are dropping like flies. Too many, particularly men, just too damm young!

 

[TCowner]

Mr. Ermey also had a knack for a little comedy as well. He appeared in "Saving Silverman" which won't go down as the best comedy movie in history but it a few funny parts. He also got to appear on stage with Neil Diamond, and that has to be pretty neat.

Saving Silverman - Holly Holy - YouTube

 

[Oldoak]

Apparently he took that part in FMJ and ran with it. A writer did not put those wonderful words in his mouth.

Sad thing bout getting old. More and more and more people you know, knew or liked are dropping like flies. Too many, particularly men, just too damm young!

Wow! You nailed it. That is what I am seeing too.

When I start to complain about something, my wife will say to me "stop and think how fortunate we are. Still in reasonably good health for our age and enjoying retirement together."

 

[mjarrels]

And like myself married to a filipino for life.

mark

 

[dmccarty]

I saw FMJ when it first came out. A friend and I got to the movie a bit late, it was BIG theater, much bigger than what we have today, and the place was packed. We found two seats in the back row which I think was a good thing. We really did not know what to expect and when Emery showed up and started chewing out the recruits, the theater audience was stone called quiet. They were SHOCKED and STUNNED at the language as well as from what he was saying and doing. I was laughing so hard because he was so brilliant. He was a master. :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

I have read that he was originally an adviser to FMJ and they had a script written for the actor who was supposed to play the DI. Ermey, without a script, just started up and kept going and going and going, and he got the part instead of a "real" actor. The guy was a genius and will be missed.

Now I laughed through the first half of the movie but stopped laughing after the DI got shot which I thought was pretty lame. The second half of the movie has to be the best view of combat ever.

There are supposed to be two endings of the movie, the one show in the theater and the one deemed unworthy of making the movie. The unshown ending had one of the Marines cutting the head off of the sniper which I guess was deemed to violent.

Ermey will be missed.

Later,
Dan