R. Lee Ermey dead at 74

[DubiousDan]

R.I.P. Gunny.

 

[45tex]

Saying a prayer for his family. Another great one gone

 

[Big Green]

Met him while I was stationed in Okinawa, circa 2007. As nice a guy as you could imagine. (Didn't hurt I was a younger Marine too.) He was the guest of honor at my younger brother's Ball in northern Okinawa that year. (Don't recall which base my brother was on at the moment.) Gunny was doing his Mail Call show and was signing his book at the PX on Camp Foster, I still have the book with the autograph. Semper Fidelis Gunnery Sergeant.

Fun fact: He was actually medically retired as a SSgt but his fame as Gunnery Sergeant Hartman eventually had the Commandant, Gen Jones, promote him to Gunnery Sergeant.

 

[TreyG-20]

Was just watching some lock n' load reruns last week. Great guy and great personality. RIP Gunny

 

[SQLGeek]

I know a lot of people that worked with him on Mail Call and other History Channel shows. Never a bad thing to say about him. RIP Gunny.

 

[easy rider]

Mail Call was one of my favorites.

 

[mroper]

RIP Gunny

 

[Moonpie]

His opening scene in Full Metal Jacket will live forever.

Ooo-Rah Gunny.

 

[avvidclif]

The VFW lost a great friend. I saw and talked to him at several Conventions, great guy. Wife got a picture with him.

RIP Gunny

 

[easy rider]

His opening scene in Full Metal Jacket will live forever.

Ooo-Rah Gunny.

Where he got his start in acting. Glad that the actor couldn't do a drill sergeant as well as Ermey. "Choke yourself!"

 

[majormadmax]

Where he got his start in acting. Glad that the actor couldn't do a drill sergeant as well as Ermey. "Choke yourself!"

Not quite, it was the 1978 movie Boys in Company C where he, not surprisingly, played a drill instructor named Sergeant Loyce!

He also had a very brief, uncredited role as a helicopter pilot during the attack scene Apocalypse Now!

Oh, and that "actor (who) couldn't do a drill sergeant" was Tim Colceri, who infamously went on to take the role of the helicopter gunner in Full Metal Jacket ("Get some! Get Some!" and "How can you shoot women or children? Easy! Ya just don't lead 'em so much! Ain't war hell?!"). Tim also served in the Marine Corps during Vietnam, spending 13 months in Da Nang.

 

[easy rider]

Not quite, it was the 1978 movie Boys in Company C where he, not surprisingly, played a drill instructor named Sergeant Loyce!

He also had a very brief, uncredited role as a helicopter pilot during the attack scene Apocalypse Now!

I just read at one time that he was hired as a consultant to train an actor to act like a drill sergeant for Full Metal Jacket and Stanley Kubrick decided to use him instead.

 

[majormadmax]

I just read at one time that he was hired as a consultant to train an actor to act like a drill sergeant for Full Metal Jacket and Stanley Kubrick decided to use him instead.

There are several versions of how it occurred, but originally Colceri did have the role as Gunnery Sergeant Hartman and Ermey was only a consultant. Kubrick later decided to go with Ermey instead but exactly why has been debated for some time. There is also conflicting evidence as to whether Ermey improvised most of his lines or not. In several interviews Ermey stated that he worked closely with Kubrick to help mold the script so that it was more believable, all while retaining certain dialogue crucial to Kubrick's vision. Other sources state Kubrick originally was going to write dialogue for Ermey's character himself, but he became so impressed with what Ermey improvised, he decided it was not necessary.

Even regarding his character's brutal discipline of the recruits, Ermey once said that a Marine drill instructor would never physically slap, choke or punch a recruit (at least not openly), even back in his day as a young Marine; which signifies that he was not able to play his role as he felt it should have been.

Full Metal Jacket--like Apocalypse Now--is one of those epic films where the production history is as spectacular as if not even more so than the final movie itself. As years go by, some facts have been surpassed by myths and legends, which only add to it's legacy.

 

[easy rider]

There are several versions of how it occurred, but originally Colceri did have the role as Gunnery Sergeant Hartman and Ermey was only a consultant. Kubrick later decided to go with Ermey instead but exactly why has been debated for some time. There is also conflicting evidence as to whether Ermey improvised most of his lines or not. In several interviews Ermey stated that he worked closely with Kubrick to help mold the script so that it was more believable, all while retaining certain dialogue crucial to Kubrick's vision. Other sources state Kubrick originally was going to write dialogue for Ermey's character himself, but he became so impressed with what Ermey improvised, he decided it was not necessary.

Even regarding his character's brutal discipline of the recruits, Ermey once said that a Marine drill instructor would never physically slap, choke or punch a recruit (at least not openly), even back in his day as a young Marine; which signifies that he was not able to play his role as he felt it should have been.

Full Metal Jacket--like Apocalypse Now--is one of those epic films where the production history is as spectacular as if not even more so than the final movie itself. As years go by, some facts have been surpassed by myths and legends, which only add to it's legacy.

Interesting, Thank you.

 

[roberthleeii]

I was very sad to see this. I have never seen someone who was known by so many generations and diverse audiences. It seems everybody knows who is and liked him. Even my school kids are talking about him today.

I can't wait for my son to be a little older so I can sit down and watch Full Metal Jacket with him...

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk

 

[V-Tach]

Met Gunny Ermey a couple of times......very personable and comfortable with who he was....

RIP Gunny.............74 is way too young...

 

[AZ Refugee]

The Siege of Firebase Gloria is another one he is in

 

[MTA]

fond memories of my older brother letting me watch FMJ when I was a young blood. He will be missed

 

[Renegade]

Not quite, it was the 1978 movie Boys in Company C where he, not surprisingly, played a drill instructor named Sergeant Loyce!

Yep, FMJ was basically a copy of his role in Boys in Company C. Ermey, as well as the Mexican DS were awesome. Jesus Christ, Hollywood, etc.

Also, watch closely and he is in one of the choppers in Apocalypse Now during the beach scene.

 

[majormadmax]

Also, watch closely and he is in one of the choppers in Apocalypse Now during the beach scene.

View attachment 135767

Yep, mentioned that in post #31...