Background[]
Biography[]
Personal Life[]
Filmography[]
- The Boys in Company C (1978)
- Apocalypse Now (1979)
- Up from the Depths (1979)
- Purple Hearts (1984)
- Full Metal Jacket (1987)
- Miami Vice (1987) 1 episode
- Mississippi Burning (1988)
- The Siege of Firebase Gloria (1989)
- Fletch Lives (1989)
- China Beach (1989) 1 episode
- Deathstone (1990)
- The Rift (1990)
- The Take (1990)
- I'm Dangerous Tonight (1990)
- Kid (1990)
- 83 Hours 'Til Dawn (1990)
- The Terror Within II (1991)
- Toy Soldiers (1991)
- True Identity (1991)
- Human Target (1992) 1 episode
- Civil Wars (1992) 1 episode
- Street Justice (1992) 1 episode
- Hexed (1993)
- Sommersby (1993)
- Body Snatchers (1993)
- The Adventures of Brisco County Jr. (1993) 2 episodes
- French Silk (1994)
- Chain of Command (1994)
- On Deadly Ground (1994)
- Rise and Walk: The Dennis Byrd Story (1994)
- Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult (1994)
- Love Is a Gun (1994)
- Tales from the Crypt (1994) 1 episode
- Murder in the First (1995)
- Savate ((1995)
- Sweet Justice (1995) 1 episode
- Best of the Best 3: No Turning Back (1995)
- Leaving Las Vegas (1995)
- Se7en (1995)
- Space: Above and Beyond (1995) 1 episode
- Under the Hula Moon (1995)
- Toy Story (1995)
- The X-Files (1995) 1 episode
- Dead Man Walking (1995)
- The Simpsons (1995-15) 2 episodes
- Toy Story Treats (1996) 1 episode
- High Incident (1996) 1 episode
- Soul of the Game (1996)
- The Frighteners (1996)
- Prefontaine (1997)
- JAG (1997) 1 episode
- Dead Men Can't Dance (1997)
- Weapons of Mass Distraction (1997)
- Rough Riders (1997)
- Promised Land (1997) 2 episodes
- Switchback (1997)
- The Angry Beavers (1997) 1 episode
- Starship Troopers (1997)
- Cracker: Mind Over Murder (1997-99) 13 episodes
- Gunshy (1998)
- The Sender (1998)
- All Dogs Go to Heaven: The Series (1998) 1 episode
- Maximum Bob (1998) 1 episode
- You Know My Name (1999)
- Life (1999)
- Avalanche (1999)
- Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot (1999)
- The Apartment Complex (1999)
- Toy Story 2 (1999)
- Roughnecks: The Starship Troopers Chronicles (1999-00) 4 episodes
- Action (1999-00) 4 episodes
- The Chaos Factor (2000)
- Skipped Parts (2000)
- Buzz Lightyear of Star Command: The Adventure Begins (2000)
- Jericho (2000)
- Saving Silverman (2001)
- Recess: School's Out (2001)
- The District (2001) 1 episode
- Megiddo: The Omega Code 2 (2001)
- Scenes of the Crime (2001)
- Taking Sides (2001)
- On the Borderline (2001)
- This Week in History (2001) 2 episodes
- Family Guy (2001-11) 2 episodes
- Run Ronnie Run (2002)
- The Salton Sea (2002)
- Scrubs (2002) 1 episode
- Frank McKlusky, C.I. (2002)
- Invader ZIM (2002) 1 episode
- Birdseye (2002)
- Mail Call (2002-07) series regular
- Willard (2003)
- Rocket Power (2003) 1 episode
- Fillmore! (2003) 1 episode
- The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)
- Kim Possible (2003) 1 episode
- Y.M.I. (2004)
- The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy (2004) 1 episode
- Father of the Pride (2004) 1 episode
- Man of the House (2005)
- House M.D. (2005-08) 2 episode
- X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)
- Shark Bait (2006)
- The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning (2006)
- SpongeBob SquarePants (2007) 1 episode
- Solstice (2008)
- Toy Story Midway Mania! (2008)
- Eleventh Hour (2008) 1 episode
- Lock 'N Load with R. Lee Ermey (2009) series regular
- Batman: The Brave and the Bold (2009-11) 4 episodes
- Toy Story 3 (2010)
- For Love of Liberty: The Story of America's Black Patriots (2010)
- An Okay Place to Eat (2010)
- Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (2010) 1 episode
- Machete Maidens Unleashed! (2010)
- X-Play (2011) 1 episode
- The Watch (2012)
- Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness (2012-13) 3 episodes
- Someone Picked the Wrong Girl (2013)
- GunnyTime with R. Lee Ermey (2015) series regular
Trivia[]
- Was one of the few people ever allowed to improvise for notorious perfectionist Stanley Kubrick. A lot of his dialogue lines in Full Metal Jacket (1987) were improvised.
- When he was 17, he would always get in trouble with the police. During a court hearing, the judge gave him the choice of either facing jail or join the military. He chose the military.
- Was not intended to be in Full Metal Jacket (1987). He was hired as a technical advisor for the actor who was to play the drill instructor, but he did such a good job at it that Ermey himself was hired for the part.
- Although he retired from the United States Marine Corps in 1971, Ermey was later awarded the Honorary rank of Gunnery Sergeant.
- After injuries forced him to retire from military service, he moved to the Philippines and enrolled in the University of Manila, where he studied Criminology and Drama.
- Despite antagonizing him for the entire film in Full Metal Jacket (1987) he in fact spoke very highly of Vincent D'Onofrio who played Private Pyle, offscreen and said he gave the best performance in the entire film.
- Was seriously considered for the role of J. Jonah Jameson in Spider-Man (2002), before J.K. Simmons was cast.
- Chosen as first celebrity spokesperson for Glock firearms and products in 2004.
- Served in the United States Marine Corps from April 1961 to October 1971 under the service number 195-60-39. Was retired as a Staff Sergeant on a medical disability.
- Aside from his early military roles, he often plays authority figures, such as sheriffs, police chiefs and other types of law-enforcement officers.
- In 2010, he was chosen as new spokesman for SOG Specialty Knives & Tool. SOG's new "Gunny Approved" advertising campaign includes a special edition line of knives and tools developed in conjunction with Ermey.
- Member of the National Rifle Association Board of Directors.
Quotes[]
- It's my firm conviction that when Uncle Sam calls, by God we go, and we do the best that we can.
- Even though I disagree with many of the changes, when I see the privates graduate at the end of the day, when they walk off that drill field at the end of the ceremony, they are still fine privates; outstanding, well motivated privates.
- I firmly believe that you live and learn, and if you don't learn from past mistakes, then you need to be drug out and shot.
- The best part about the movie, and everybody seems to rave about it, is the boot camp part.
- I don't have any respect at all for the scum-bags who went to Canada to avoid the draft or to avoid doing their fair share.
- Drill instructors worked seven days a week, fifteen to seventeen hours a day in many cases, with no time off in between platoons.
- I firmly believe that, in order to give a solid performance, an actor's gotta have something he can bring to the table.
- Every character I've ever played, I always try to take him right to the edge and not allow him to fall over, but directors have a tendency to pull me back a little bit.