R. Lee Ermey facts for kids

Quick facts for kids R. Lee Ermey
Ermey aboard USS Belleau Wood in 2005
Born	Ronald Lee Ermey (1944-03-24)March 24, 1944 Emporia, Kansas, U.S.
Died	April 15, 2018(2018-04-15) (aged 74) Santa Monica, California, U.S.
Resting place	Arlington National Cemetery
Occupation	Actor U.S. Marine drill instructor
Years active	1978–2017
Political party	Independent
Spouse(s)	Nila Ermey ​ (m. 1975)​
Children	4
Military career
Nickname(s)	"Gunny"
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	United States Marine Corps
Years of service	1961–1972
Rank	Staff sergeant (E-6) Gunnery sergeant (E-7) (honorary)
Unit	India Company, 3rd Recruit Training Battalion Marine Wing Support Group 17
Battles/wars	Vietnam War
Awards	Meritorious Unit Commendation Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross

Ronald Lee Ermey (March 24, 1944 – April 15, 2018) was an American actor and a U.S. Marine drill instructor. He became famous for his role as Gunnery Sergeant Hartman in the 1987 movie Full Metal Jacket. This role earned him a nomination for a Golden Globe Award. Ermey was also a United States Marine Corps staff sergeant and later received an honorary promotion to gunnery sergeant.

Ermey often played characters who were in charge, like Mayor Tilman in Mississippi Burning. He was also Bill Bowerman in Prefontaine and Sheriff Hoyt in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake. Kids might know him best as the voice of Sarge, the leader of the plastic army men, in the first three Toy Story movies.

On TV, Ermey hosted two shows on the History Channel. One was Mail Call, where he answered questions about military topics. The other was Lock n' Load with R. Lee Ermey, which looked at how different weapons were developed. He also hosted GunnyTime on the Outdoor Channel.

Early Life and Choices

Ermey was born in Emporia, Kansas, on March 24, 1944. His family moved a few times, first to a farm near Kansas City, Kansas, and then to a rural home in Washington state. As a teenager, Ermey got into trouble often. A judge gave him a choice: join the military or go to jail. Ermey chose to join the military.

Military Service

In 1961, when he was 17, Ermey joined the United States Marine Corps. He trained at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego in California. After a few years, he became a drill instructor, teaching new recruits from 1965 to 1967.

Later, Ermey served in Japan and then in South Vietnam during the Vietnam War for 14 months. He was medically retired in 1972 due to injuries. In 2002, he received an honorary promotion to Gunnery Sergeant. This was a special honor from the Marine Corps for his continued support.

Ermey often visited new recruits at Marine Corps training bases. He would talk to them and even filmed an episode of his show Mail Call at one of these bases.

Acting Career Highlights

After leaving the Marines, Ermey studied at the University of Manila in the Philippines. There, he got his first movie role as a Marine drill instructor in The Boys in Company C (1978). He also appeared in Apocalypse Now (1979) as a helicopter pilot.

Famous Film Roles

In 1987, Ermey got a big role as Gunnery Sergeant Hartman in Stanley Kubrick's movie Full Metal Jacket. He was first hired as a technical advisor for the film. But when Kubrick saw a tape of Ermey acting like a drill instructor, he decided Ermey was perfect for the part. Kubrick even let Ermey write some of his own lines, which was very unusual for his movies. Ermey's performance was highly praised and he was nominated for a Golden Globe Award.

Ermey appeared in about 60 movies. He often played military or authority figures. Some of his other films include Mississippi Burning, Dead Man Walking, Se7en, and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre films.

He also lent his voice to many animated characters. He was Sarge in Toy Story, Toy Story 2, and Toy Story 3. He also voiced characters in shows like The Simpsons, Family Guy, and SpongeBob SquarePants.

Ermey loading ammunition for the Bofors 40 mm gun aboard a Lockheed AC-130H "Spectre" Gunship in 2006

Television Appearances

Ermey was a guest star in many TV shows. In 1993, he played the father of the main character in The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.. He also appeared in Tales from the Crypt and The X-Files.

His show Mail Call on the History Channel was very popular. He answered viewer questions about military weapons, tactics, and history. He even traveled to Kuwait and Afghanistan to film episodes and visit U.S. troops.

Ermey also played Dr. Gregory House's father in the TV drama House. He was the Janitor's father in the sitcom Scrubs. He voiced Wildcat in Batman: The Brave and the Bold and Colonel Leslie "Hap" Hapablap in The Simpsons.

In SpongeBob SquarePants, he voiced a strict warden. In 2009, he hosted another History Channel show, Lock n' Load with R. Lee Ermey, which explored the history of military weapons. He also hosted GunnyTime on the Outdoor Channel starting in 2015.

Video Game Roles

Ermey lent his voice to several video games. He was General Barnaky in Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel and Wa-Wa in Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex. He also did voice-over work for Call of Duty: Ghosts.

Some video game characters are even inspired by Ermey's famous roles. For example, Sergeant RL-3 in Fallout 3 is a robot with a personality very similar to Ermey's.

Commercials and Other Media

Ermey was a spokesperson for many companies, including Glock firearms, Tupperware, and WD-40. He appeared in commercials for GEICO and pistachio nuts. He also gave public service announcements for movie theaters, asking people to be quiet during films.

Personal Life

Ermey married his wife, Nila, in 1975. They had four children and were married until his death.

Supporting the Military

Ermey was a big supporter of the U.S. military. He received an honorary promotion to gunnery sergeant in 2002 for his ongoing support to service members. He often went on morale tours, visiting troops in places like Iraq and Afghanistan. He would perform comedy routines and portray his famous drill instructor character to entertain the soldiers.

Political Views

Ermey described himself as an independent voter. He was a strong supporter of the Second Amendment, which protects the right to own guns. He was also a board member of the National Rifle Association.

Death

R. Lee Ermey passed away at a hospital in Santa Monica, California, on April 15, 2018, at the age of 74. He died from problems related to pneumonia. His funeral was held at Arlington National Cemetery in January 2019.

Awards and Decorations

R. Lee Ermey during the United States Marine Corps birthday ball, November 2006

Ermey received several military awards during his service. He was also given the Marine Corps Drill Instructor Ribbon after he retired, recognizing his time as a training instructor.

2 Service stripes

Filmography

See also

In Spanish: R. Lee Ermey para niños