R. Lee Ermey

R. Lee Ermey (March 24, 1944 – April 15, 2018) was an American actor and U.S. Marine drill instructor. He gained fame for his role as Gunnery Sergeant Hartman in the 1987 film Full Metal Jacket, earning a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Ermey was also a United States Marine Corps staff sergeant and an honorary gunnery sergeant. Ordinarily typecast in authority figure roles, he played various characters in films like Mississippi Burning, Prefontaine, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre series, Fletch Lives,Seven, and the first three films of the Toy Story franchise. He hosted two programs on the History Channel: Mail Call and Lock n' Load with R. Lee Ermey. Ermey was born in Emporia, Kansas and had an interesting military career before venturing into acting. He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps at age 17 and went through recruit training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego. He eventually got medically retired in 1972 due to several injuries. On May 17, 2002, Ermey was honorary promoted to Gunnery Sergeant (E-7) by the Marine Corps General James L. Jones. Ermey's contributions extended to the world of video games, commercials, and political advocacy.