R. Lee Ermey

Born:March 24, 1944

Place of Birth:Emporia, Kansas, USA

Died:April 15, 2018

Known For:Acting

Biography

R. Lee Ermey, born Ronald Lee Ermey on March 24, 1944, left an indelible mark as a retired United States Marine Corps drill instructor and actor until his passing on April 15, 2018.

Ermey's commanding presence and authoritative demeanor made him a natural fit for roles that required a strong and disciplined character. He became a household name with his iconic portrayal of Gunnery Sergeant Hartman in Stanley Kubrick's war classic, Full Metal Jacket, a performance that showcased his raw talent and intensity on screen.

Throughout his career, Ermey showcased his versatility by taking on a range of roles, from the menacing Sheriff Hoyt in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake to the voice of the no-nonsense plastic army men leader, Sarge, in the beloved Toy Story franchise.

Beyond his acting endeavors, Ermey shared his vast knowledge and passion for military history as the host of two popular History Channel programs. "Mail Call" allowed viewers to delve into the world of militaria, while "Lock N' Load with R. Lee Ermey" explored the evolution of weapons, showcasing his expertise in firearms and military technology.

Ermey's dedication to his craft extended beyond the silver screen, as he was also a candidate for the National Rifle Association board of directors, reflecting his commitment to upholding values he held dear.

With a career that spanned decades, R. Lee Ermey solidified his status as a Hollywood legend and a respected authority in military circles. His contributions to film and television continue to resonate with audiences, cementing his legacy as a true icon in the industry.

Images

Filmography

Acting

Toy Story

Sergeant (voice)

1995

Led by Woody, Andy's toys live happily in his room until Andy's birthday brings Buzz Lightyear onto the scene. Afraid of losing his place in Andy's heart, Woody plots against Buzz. But when circumstances separate Buzz and Woody from their owner, the duo eventually learns to put aside their differences.

Se7en

Police Captain

1995

Two homicide detectives are on a desperate hunt for a serial killer whose crimes are based on the "seven deadly sins" in this dark and haunting film that takes viewers from the tortured remains of one victim to the next. The seasoned Det. Somerset researches each sin in an effort to get inside the killer's mind, while his novice partner, Mills, scoffs at his efforts to unravel the case.

Toy Story 2

Sarge (voice)

1999

Andy heads off to Cowboy Camp, leaving his toys to their own devices. Things shift into high gear when an obsessive toy collector named Al McWhiggen, owner of Al's Toy Barn kidnaps Woody. Andy's toys mount a daring rescue mission, Buzz Lightyear meets his match and Woody has to decide where he and his heart truly belong.

Toy Story 3

Sarge (voice)

2010

Woody, Buzz, and the rest of Andy's toys haven't been played with in years. With Andy about to go to college, the gang find themselves accidentally left at a nefarious day care center. The toys must band together to escape and return home to Andy.

Apocalypse Now

Eagle Thrust Seven Helicopter Pilot (uncredited)

1979

At the height of the Vietnam war, Captain Benjamin Willard is sent on a dangerous mission that, officially, "does not exist, nor will it ever exist." His goal is to locate - and eliminate - a mysterious Green Beret Colonel named Walter Kurtz, who has been leading his personal army on illegal guerrilla missions into enemy territory.

Full Metal Jacket

Gny. Sgt. Hartman

1987

A pragmatic U.S. Marine observes the dehumanizing effects the U.S.-Vietnam War has on his fellow recruits from their brutal boot camp training to the bloody street fighting in Hue.

Starship Troopers

Voice heard on speaker (voice) (uncredited)

1997

Set in the future, the story follows a young soldier named Johnny Rico and his exploits in the Mobile Infantry. Rico's military career progresses from recruit to non-commissioned officer and finally to officer against the backdrop of an interstellar war between mankind and an arachnoid species known as "the Bugs."

Life

Older Sheriff Pike

1999

Two men in 1930s Mississippi become friends after being sentenced to life in prison together for a crime they did not commit.

Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult

Prison Guard (uncredited)

1994

Frank Drebin is persuaded out of retirement to go undercover in a state prison. There he has to find out what top terrorist, Rocco, has planned for when he escapes. Adding to his problems, Frank's wife, Jane, is desperate for a baby.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

Sheriff Hoyt

2003

After picking up a traumatized young hitchhiker, five friends find themselves stalked and hunted by a chainsaw-wielding killer and his family of equally psychopathic killers.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning

Uncle Charlie Hewitt / Sheriff Hoyt

2006

Chrissie and her friends set out on a road trip for a final fling before one is shipped off to Vietnam. Along the way, bikers harass the foursome and cause an accident that throws Chrissie from the vehicle. The lawman who arrives on the scene kills one of the bikers and brings Chrissie's friends to the Hewitt homestead, where young Leatherface is learning the tools of terror.

The Watch

Manfred

2012

Four everyday suburban guys come together as an excuse to escape their humdrum lives one night a week. But when they accidentally discover that their town has become overrun with aliens posing as ordinary suburbanites, they have no choice but to save their neighborhood – and the world – from total extermination.

Mississippi Burning

Mayor Tilman

1988

Two FBI agents investigating the murder of civil rights workers during the 60s seek to breach the conspiracy of silence in a small Southern town where segregation divides black and white. The younger agent trained in FBI school runs up against the small town ways of his partner, a former sheriff.

Leaving Las Vegas

Conventioneer

1995

Ben Sanderson, an alcoholic Hollywood screenwriter who lost everything because of his drinking, arrives in Las Vegas to drink himself to death. There, he meets and forms an uneasy friendship and non-interference pact with prostitute Sera.

Dead Man Walking

Clyde Percy

1995

A death row inmate turns for spiritual guidance to a local nun in the days leading up to his scheduled execution for the murders of a young couple.

The Frighteners

Hiles

1996

Once an architect, Frank Bannister now passes himself off as an exorcist of evil spirits. To bolster his facade, he claims his "special" gift is the result of a car accident that killed his wife. But what he does not count on is more people dying in the small town where he lives. As he tries to piece together the supernatural mystery of these killings, he falls in love with the wife of one of the victims and deals with a crazy FBI agent.

On Deadly Ground

Stone

1994

Forrest Taft is an environmental agent who works for the Aegis Oil Company in Alaska. Aegis Oil's corrupt CEO is the kind of person who doesn't care whether or not oil spills into the ocean or onto the land—just as long as it's making money for him.

Sommersby

Dick Mead

1993

Set in the South just after the US Civil War, Laurel Sommersby is just managing to work the farm without her husband, believed killed in battle. By all accounts, Jack Sommersby was not a pleasant man, thus when he suddenly returns, Laurel has mixed emotions. It appears that Jack has changed a great deal, leading some people to believe that this is not actually Jack but an imposter. Laurel herself is unsure, but willing to take the man into her home, and perhaps later into her heart.

Toy Soldiers

General Kramer

1991

After federal agents arrest a drug czar and put him on trial, the cartel leader's vicious son storms a prep school and takes its students hostage. They rebel against the armed intruders and try to take back their academy by any means necessary.

Murder in the First

Judge Clawson

1995

A young, inexperienced public defender is assigned to defend an inmate accused of committing murder while behind bars.

Man of the House

Captain Nichols

2005

Texas Ranger Roland Sharp is assigned to protect the only witnesses to the murder of a key figure in the prosecution of a drug kingpin -- a group of University of Texas cheerleaders. Sharp must now go undercover as an assistant cheerleading coach and move in with the young women.

Saving Silverman

Coach

2001

A pair of buddies conspire to save their best friend from marrying the wrong woman, a cold-hearted beauty who snatches him from them and breaks up their Neil Diamond cover band.

The Salton Sea

Verne Plummer

2002

After the murder of his beloved wife, a man in search of redemption is set adrift in a world where nothing is as it seems. On his journey, he befriends slacker Jimmy "The Finn", becomes involved in rescuing his neighbor Colette from her own demons, and gets entangled in a web of deceit full of unexpected twists and turns.

Body Snatchers

General Platt

1993

When Environmental Protection Agency inspector Steve Malone travels to a remote military base in order to check for toxic materials, he brings his family along for the ride. After arriving at the base, his teenage daughter Marti befriends Jean Platt, daughter of the base's commander, General Platt. When people at the base begin acting strangely, Marti becomes convinced that they are slowly being replaced by plant-like aliens.

Willard

Mr. Martin

2003

Desperate for companionship, the repressed Willard befriends a group of rats that inhabit his late father's deteriorating mansion. In these furry creatures, Willard finds temporary refuge from daily abuse at the hands of his bedridden mother and his father's old partner, Frank. Soon it becomes clear that the brood of rodents is ready and willing to exact a vicious, deadly revenge on anyone who dares to bully their sensitive new master.

Fletch Lives

Jimmy Lee Farnsworth

1989

Fletch is a fish out of water in small-town Louisiana, where he's checking out a tumbledown mansion he's inherited. When a woman he flirts with turns up dead, he becomes a suspect and must find the killer and clear his name.

Run Ronnie Run

Lead Kidnapper

2002

A redneck with an uncanny knack for getting arrested becomes the star of his own reality program.

X-Men: The Last Stand

Sergeant (voice)

2006

When a cure is found to treat mutations, lines are drawn amongst the X-Men—led by Professor Charles Xavier—and the Brotherhood, a band of powerful mutants organised under Xavier's former ally, Magneto.