Actor
R. Lee Ermey
Born 24 March 1944 · Emporia, Kansas, USA — died 15 April 2018
R. Lee Ermey (1944–2018) was a U.S. Marine Corps drill instructor turned actor, best known for playing stern authority figures. His ferocious Gunnery Sergeant Hartman in Full Metal Jacket became one of cinema's most imitated military characters. He also voiced Sarge in the Toy Story films and hosted History Channel programs on military topics.
Key films
Full Metal Jacket (1987)
His breakout role as drill instructor Hartman became the defining screen portrayal of a Marine boot-camp sergeant.
Apocalypse Now (1979)
An early screen appearance in Coppola's Vietnam War epic, drawing on his real military background.
Mississippi Burning (1988)
Played Mayor Tilman in Alan Parker's civil rights-era thriller, showing his range as a screen authority figure.
Toy Story (1995)
Voiced Sarge, the plastic army men's leader, a role he reprised in later sequels.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)
Played the menacing Sheriff Hoyt in the horror remake, a notable villainous turn.
Key awards
No major awards are documented here.
On Cinespective
Full filmography · 83
- 1978The Boys in Company C · as Sergeant LoyceActor
- 1979Apocalypse Now · as Eagle Thrust Seven Helicopter Pilot (uncredited)Actor
- 1979Up from the Depths · as Arnold (uncredited)Actor
- 1984Purple Hearts · as GunnyActor
- 1987Full Metal Jacket · as Gny. Sgt. HartmanActor
- 1988Mississippi Burning · as Mayor TilmanActor
- 1989Fletch Lives · as Jimmy Lee FarnsworthActor
- 1989The Siege of Firebase Gloria · as Sgt. Maj. Bill Hafner / NarratorActor
- 1990The Rift · as Captain PhillipsActor
- 1990I'm Dangerous Tonight · as Captain AikmanActor
- 1990Kid · as Luke ClantonActor
- 199083 Hours 'Til Dawn · as Glen FairlingActor
- 1990Demonstone · as Col. Joe HainesActor
- 1990The Take · as WellerActor
- 1991Toy Soldiers · as General KramerActor
- 1991True Identity · as Houston’s BossActor
- 1991The Terror Within II · as Von DemmingActor
- 1993Body Snatchers · as General PlattActor
- 1993Sommersby · as Dick MeadActor
- 1993Hexed · as Detective FergusonActor
- 1994Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult · as Prison Guard (uncredited)Actor
- 1994On Deadly Ground · as StoneActor
- 1994Chain of Command · as Benjamin BrewsterActor
- 1994Love Is a Gun · as Frank DeaconActor
- 1994French Silk · as Chief CrowderActor
- 1995Se7en · as Police CaptainActor
- 1995Toy Story · as Sergeant (voice)Actor
- 1995Leaving Las Vegas · as ConventioneerActor
- 1995Dead Man Walking · as Clyde PercyActor
- 1995Murder in the First · as Judge ClawsonActor
- 1995Best of the Best 3: No Turning Back · as Preacher BrianActor
- 1995Savate · as BenedictActor
- 1996The Frighteners · as HilesActor
- 1996Soul of the Game · as WilkieActor
- 1996Stanley Kubrick: The Invisible Man · as SelfActor
- 1997Starship Troopers · as Voice heard on speaker (voice) (uncredited)Actor
- 1997Switchback · as Sheriff Buck OlmsteadActor
- 1997Prefontaine · as Bill BowermanActor
- 1997Weapons of Mass Distraction · as Billy PaxtonActor
- 1997Dead Men Can't Dance · as Senator FowlerActor
- 1998Gunshy · as JerryActor
- 1998The Sender · as Colonel RosewaterActor
- 1999Toy Story 2 · as Sarge (voice)Actor
- 1999Life · as Older Sheriff PikeActor
- 1999Escape from Alaska · as GaryActor
- 1999The Apartment Complex · as Frank StantonActor
- 1999You Know My Name · as Marshal NixActor
- 2000Buzz Lightyear of Star Command: The Adventure Begins · as Sarge (voice)Actor
- 2000Skipped Parts · as Caspar CallahanActor
- 2000Jericho · as MarshallActor
- 2000The Chaos Factor · as Col. Ben WilderActor
- 2001Saving Silverman · as CoachActor
- 2001Recess: School's Out · as Colonel O'Malley (voice)Actor
- 2001Megiddo: The Omega Code 2 · as Richard BensonActor
- 2001On the Borderline · as Captain EliasActor
- 2001Roughnecks: The Starship Troopers Chronicles - The Pluto CampaignActor
- 2001Roughnecks: The Starship Troopers Chronicles - The Tesca CampaignActor
- 2001Roughnecks: The Starship Troopers Chronicles - The Tophet Campaign · as Sky Marshall SanchezActor
- 2001Sarge! · as HimselfActor
- 2002The Salton Sea · as Verne PlummerActor
- 2002Run Ronnie Run · as Lead KidnapperActor
- 2002Taking Sides · as General WallaceActor
- 2002Scenes of the Crime · as Mr. ParkerActor
- 2002Birdseye · as Sheriff GathersActor
- 2003The Texas Chainsaw Massacre · as Sheriff HoytActor
- 2003Willard · as Mr. MartinActor
- 2004Y.M.I. · as JohnActor
- 2004Chainsaw Redux: Making a Massacre · as Self - Sheriff HoytActor
- 2005Man of the House · as Captain NicholsActor
- 2006X-Men: The Last Stand · as Sergeant (voice)Actor
- 2006The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning · as Uncle Charlie Hewitt / Sheriff HoytActor
- 2006Shark Bait · as Jack (voice)Actor
- 2007The Pixar Story · as Sergeant (voice) (archive footage)Actor
- 2007Full Metal Jacket: Between Good and Evil · as SelfActor
- 2007Down to the Bone: Anatomy of a Prequel · as SelfActor
- 2008Solstice · as LeonardActor
- 2010Toy Story 3 · as Sarge (voice)Actor
- 2010Machete Maidens Unleashed! · as SelfActor
- 2012The Watch · as ManfredActor
- 2014Kubrick Remembered · as SelfActor
- 2015Toy Story at 20: To Infinity and Beyond · as SelfActor
- 2018Filmworker · as SelfActor
- 2020Kubrick by Kubrick · as Self (archive footage)Actor
Filmography data from TMDB. The profile text is a draft written for Cinespective.