ABC News; R. Lee Ermey Talks Military, Acting and Reality TV
I’m guessing that there might be a few R. Lee Ermy fans out there in TAH-land. ABC News sends us their interview with the man, the legend, the Marine;
“I grew up in a farm, so I didn’t really have any playmates or friends with the exception of my brothers,” he said.
[…]
He joined the Marine Corps in 1961 and said he really enjoyed his time there.
“When I went into the Marine Corps, I had all kinds of playmates, all kinds of brothers and friends. I like that aspect of it,” he said.
[…]
“The hardest part about being retired out of the Marine Corps was to find myself standing outside the gate in San Diego with nothing but a green sea bag. The toughest part of the transition was leaving my friends behind because every friend that I had in the world was back there,” he said.
Category: Marine Corps
You know before he immortalized himself in “Full Metal Jacket” he had a bit-part in the movie “The Boys in Company C” playing – yep, a Marine Corps drill instructor.
He also had a part in Apocolypse Now as I believe, an observer on the Loach during the attack on the village.
Bangle99…Roger That!
His scene was about five seconds of “flying” left seat in the “psyops” attack on the coastal village….
and remember, “Charlie don’t surf.”
His scene was about five seconds of “flying” left seat in the “psyops” attack on the coastal village….
and remember, “Charlie don’t surf.”
Look up “The Siege of Firebase Gloria” with Wings Hauser and R. Lee Ermey.
Actually he was an Army Drill Sergent.
A really good guy in my book.
Marines die, that’s what we’re here for. But the Marine Corps lives forever. And that means you live forever.
—The mythical GySgt Hartman portrayed by SSgt R. Lee Ermey, a drill instructor using his own choice of words in the movie “Full Metal Jacket,” 1987
I received a letter from a girl I knew in high school while I was at ‘C’ school after she and her friends saw FMJ. She said she cried thinking about how I went through that. I appreciated the sympathy but let her know that I went through non-Vietnam era Navy boot camp, where the worst thing that happened to me was I had to walk around the barracks holding my personal effects drawer and repeating frequently and loudly, “I’m the B-drawer fairy!” after I failed to lock it before leaving the barracks one day. Man, was I dumb. Should have taken all the sympathy I could get!
Huge Fan.
Apparently to get the part after being assigned as a technical adviser for Full Metal Jacket, R Lee Ermey got a bunch of extras and then had Leon Vitali Kuberick’s assistant tape him in a 15 minute expletive laden scene in front of the extras as raw boots and the story goes that he was also pelted with tennis balls and oranges while doing it and he never skipped a beat.
FMJ….. half of a good movie.
He also played an Army Sergeant Major with an LRRP in “The Siege of Firebase Gloria.”
One question though, where did that picture come from? He was medically retired as a Staff Sergeant, so why does he have GySgt chevrons? What movie is that from?
He received “Honorary Gunnery Sgt” status from the Corps some time back.
From his web page: On May 17, 2002 he received an honorary promotion to Gunnery Sergeant.
He is sporting a lot more ribbons that what he really rated also. I am betting its a till from a movie set, probablt FMJ
Yes, Honorary GySgt in 2002; but… The uniform he’s wearing in the photo is the old “tropical” uniform with khaki trousers and cover (as also seen in Gomer Pyle USMC). That uniform would be appropriate for Vietnam-era or earlier; the Marine Corps phased it out well before I went to boot camp in 1979, so the honorary title timeline doesn’t fit. Also, he’s pretty young in that picture.
R Lee played a Gunny in Purple Hearts:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087956/
Yeah, that threw me too. It’s clearly not a picture taken since he became an honorary gunny. Could that picture be from the set of The Boys from Company C, maybe? Either that or he was busted down?
Bingo, looks like a movie still, hes sporting a lot more ribbons too,pretty sure he wasnt busted,
I think its from Boys in Company C, as he is wearing the full set of Korean war/post WWII fruit salad.
I think it must be from some publicity stills from FMJ. His role in the Boys was as SGT/SSGT Loyce.
Or it could be a still shot from Purple Hearts, although I’ve never seen that particular movie.
Could be different presepectives, but I met him down in Orlando at a Military Training technology convention about the time his “Mail Call” show was on the History Channel. Dude came off as a complete a$$ in the lobby of the hotel and on the next day, he was serving as the poster child for GLOCK- signing 8x10s for the masses. I made some mention of my earlier encounter with him to a GLOCK rep at our station, and received a coin, due to the fact that they didn’t much like his attitude, but sucked it up for the crowd he drew.
Could have been the schedule he wa on, I met him 3 times briefly. Once at a DI association at twice at MCRD San Diego where he had jut came back on base with a few friends he was showing around.
He seemed really down to earth.
Well Marines are assholes that is just a given.
🙂
There are two Americas. One America knows R.Lee and loves (or at least likes) him. The second America either doesn’t know him or knows him but dislikes him. Obama is president of the second America.
Pretty much.
He was the guest speaker at the All Services Enlisted Ball in San Diego back in 2002. It was right after he was made an Honorary Gunny. I remember him talking about how he felt going from being a senior Staff Sergeant to being a junior Gunny. He stayed at the ball the rest of the night signing autographs and posing for pictures.
It’s very impressive he’s been working for 35 years in a business where it’s not easy to find and keep work.
His work on “Full Metal Jacket” is so memorable, and is remarkable for being one of the very few times Kubrick allowed an actor to write his own lines. And Kubrick himself was impressed with Ermey’s work ethic and talents. I seem to recall he said that he had very few retakes with Ermey. One retake was instigated by Kubrick himself, after Ermey delivered the “reach-around” line. Kubrick stopped and asked, “what the hell is a reach-around?” which was explained to him, everyone laughed and filming continued.
I like the Marines. They do their craft, break stuff and kill the enemy properly.
I love this guy because he is a great ambassador for the Marines and armed force at large.
Unapologetic Vietnam Marine grunt that beat the odds and rustles lefties.
Sounds like a cool guy.
You know, I never considered it from that angle … that’s some serious Jedi mind trick mojo.
P)
He’s coming to my office next Wednesday for a meet and greet, photos, and autograph session. We won a contest with Glock. It’ll be interesting to meet him. I always likes his films.