ActorR. Lee Ermey,nicknamed “The Gunney,” began his career in the Marines—which is unsurprising, given the roles he became famous for playing. He began his career as a technical advisor and with a small, uncredited role in the classicApocalypse Now,kicking off a long career in Hollywood. In addition to appearing in over 60 films, he had roles in a number of TV shows, includingHouse, plus voiceover work onThe Simpsons,Invader Zim, and more. He also hosted the History Channel’sMail Call, in which he answered viewer questions about the military. He died in 2018, leaving behind a legacy of memorable characters in the movies and TV shows in which he appeared.
It’s almost impossible to think of Ermey without thinking of his roles as military personnel and similar authority figures. Although he was certainly typecast, he played characters such as drill sergeants and cops so wonderfully, that it’s hard to imagine anyone else in his roles, the most famous ones especially. And although Ermey made a name for himself in military roles, his work in horror remains just as memorable and beloved.
10’Willard' (2003)
Directed by Glen Morgan
InWillard, the titular misfit (Crispin Glover) befriends a group of rats living in his late father’s mansion. When he learns they’re willing to follow his commands, he uses them to exact revenge on those who have wronged him. Ermey plays Frank Martin, Willard’s callous boss—his father’s former business partner—who delights in tormenting Willard, only for Willard to get revenge by torturing and killing him with his rats. The movie was based on the novelRatman’s Notebooks.
Ermey’s characters sometimes have a cruel streak to them,but his character inWillardis among the worst of them. Frank seems to treat Willard as horribly as he does for no real reason other than he can, and he delights in it. When Willard unleashes his rats into Frank’s office, we know what’ll happen next, and it’s hard not to enjoy watching Willard turn the tables on Frank as Frank gets what he deserves.
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9’Leaving Las Vegas' (1995)
Directed by Mike Figgis
After losing everything,alcoholic Ben (Nicolas Cage) decides to move to Las Vegas, where he intends to drink himself to death, inLeaving Las Vegas. While there, he meets Sera (Elisabeth Shue), a sex worker, and the two begin a relationship in which she promises not to ask him to stop drinking and he promises not to criticize her profession. Ermey plays a character known only as Conventioneer. The movie was based on the novel of the same name.
Ermey’s role inLeaving Las Vegasis small but memorable—and because it’s just a normal guy, it’s very different from the sorts of characters he typically plays. When Sera strikes up a conversation with him, he’s completely unaware of what she does for a living and why she’s talking to him. He’s great to watch in the scene, especially as his character becomes enraged when he figures out just what’s going on.
Leaving Las Vegas
An alcoholic screenwriter moves to Las Vegas intending to drink himself to death. Amidst his downward spiral, he forms a complex relationship with a kind-hearted but troubled prostitute, leading both to confront personal struggles as they navigate the harsh realities of their lives and circumstances.
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8’The Texas Chainsaw Massacre' (2003)
Directed by Marcus Nispel
The 2003 remake ofThe Texas Chainsaw Massacretells the story ofa group of young travelerswho stumble upon a rural home in the middle of Texas. After picking up a hitchhiker, the group is targeted bychainsaw-wielding psychopath Leatherface(Andrew Bryniarski) and his equally deranged family. Ermey plays Sheriff Hoyt, the brother of Leatherface, who was eventually killed by one of the travelers.
Sheriff Hoyt is a twist on Ermey’s familiar role of authority figures, as he turns out to be Leatherface’s brother and therefore can’t be trusted to help the friends as they’d hoped—and he’s the best character in the movie. He exploits his job as sheriff to terrify and torture the group, and Ermey takes the typical qualities in the roles he plays and turns them upside down to create a terrifying character.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
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7’The Frighteners' (1996)
Directed by Peter Jackson
After his wife dies in a car accident,former architect Frank (Michael J. Fox)poses as an exorcist inThe Frighteners. Although he really does have a sixth sense, he uses it to scam people rather than help them—until he starts to notice ghosts with ties to a serial killer executed years earlier. As part of his dealings, he encounters Sergeant Hiles, played by Ermey, the ghost of a drill sergeant keeping things in control at a local cemetery.
The Frightenersisan underrated horror comedythat features Ermey doing what he does best, except here, he’s a ghost.Some of Ermey’s most entertaining roles are his lighthearted ones, including this one. Hiles is just as aggressive as any living drill sergeant—he hurls insults at Frank and fires off an otherworldly machine gun as a threat—but the fact that he’s doing this in death and reveals he’ll be doing it for 85 more years makes him wonderfully over-the-top.
The Frighteners
The Frighteners: In a small town plagued by mysterious deaths, Frank Bannister, a debunked architect turned ghost hunter, exploits his ability to see spirits. As the body count rises, Bannister must unravel the supernatural truth behind the killings, encountering unexpected threats and complicated relationships along the way.
6’The Boys in Company C' (1978)
Directed by Sidney J. Furie
InThe Boys in Company C, a diverse group of Marine Corps recruits enters boot camp to prepare for the Vietnam War. When their training is complete, they’re sent to fight in Vietnam, where the challenges they encounter aren’t just on the battlefield—they’re also forced to contend with incompetent superiors and the problems of bureaucracy. Ermey plays Sergeant Loyce, a junior drill instructor who was later promoted to staff sergeant.
The Boys in Company Cis one of Ermey’s earliest movies and also one of the earliest to depict the Vietnam War. While not as intense or as memorable as his role inFull Metal Jacketseveral years later,the character paved the way for Ermey’s other characters and helped set the stage for his long career. Loyce also has a softer side to him—in a rare moment of honesty, he admits he knows most of the men he’s training either won’t make it back or won’t be the same if they do.
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Directed by Tim Robins
InDead Man Walking, as the execution date ofLouisiana death row inmate Matthew Poncelet (Sean Penn)nears, he turns to Sister Helen Prejean (Susan Sarandon) for help with a final appeal—he insists he is innocent. To learn more about the case, Prejean visits the family of Poncelet, as well as the families of his victims. The movie was based on the memoir of the same name.
Dead Man Walkingwas critically acclaimed—with multiple Academy Award nominations, Sarandon won for Best Actress.Ermey also delivers one of his best dramatic performances in the film as Clyde Percy, the father of one of the victims. He delivers an intense emotional speech when he angrily confronts Prejean for trying to help Poncelet at all, comparing him to something even below an animal because of the crimes he committed.
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4’Mississippi Burning' (1988)
Directed by Alan Parker
After a group of civil rights workers go missing inMississippi Burning, FBI agents Alan Ward (Willem Dafoe) and Rupert Anderson (Gene Hackman)—with two very different personalities—are tasked with finding out what happened. During the investigation, they’re met with resistance every step of the way, from the townspeople to the local police. Ermey plays Mayor Tillman, one of the many characters unbothered by the murders. The moviewas loosely based on a true story.
Ermey’s performance as Tillman proves his acting abilities beyond the drill sergeants he’s best known for. He plays the character with subtlety and a smile and charm which hides how insidious things in his town really are. But one of his most memorable scenes—and the most memorable in the movie overall—is when he’s kidnapped and interrogated. With his mouth taped shut, Ermey’s eyes expertly convey his character’s terror.
Mississippi Burning
3’Toy Story' (1995)
Directed by John Lasseter
In the animated classicToy Story, young boy Andy’s (John Morris) toys come to life when he’s not around, and classic cowboy Woody (Tom Hanks) becomes jealous when space cadet action figure Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) becomes Andy’s new favorite toy. Ermey voices Sarge, the commander of the plastic toy Green Army Men who is loyal to Woody. Ermey voices the character in the first threeToy Storymovies, as well as theToy Storyvideo games.
Between his immediately recognizable voice and his past roles,Ermey was the perfect choice for Sarge inToy Story—especially considering the character was based on Ermey’s character of Gunnery Sergeant Hartman inFull Metal Jacket. Sarge is just as memorable as some of Ermey’s other famous roles, and not just because of Ermey’s gruff voice. The wayToy Storyuses the character and brings life to plastic army men is clever and fun to watch.
2’Seven' (1995)
Directed by David Fincher
InSeven, two detectives—Detective William Somerset (Morgan Freeman) is about to retire, while David Mills (Brad Pitt) is newly transferred—are hunting down a serial killer whose murdersare inspired by and modeled after the seven deadly sins. Ermey plays their police captain, responsible for supporting them through their investigation. The movie was directed by David Fincher andhas become known for its unforgettable twist endingwhich helped reinvent crime films.
Like so many of his other roles,Ermey’s military experience helped him embody the role of the police captain—although the character is much calmer than others Ermey is known for, he’s still grizzled and full of attitude, and Ermey plays him perfectly. He steals some of the scenes he’s in, the most famous being when he answers a ringing phone with, “This is not even my desk,” before hanging up immediately.
1’Full Metal Jacket' (1987)
Directed by Stanley Kubrick
Set during the Vietnam War,Full Metal Jacketfollows Private Davis (Matthew Modine), nicknamed “Joker,” from boot camp to his deployment during the war. Ermey plays the foul-mouthed abusive drill sergeant Marine Gunnery Sergeant Hartman, whose job is to tear the recruits down then build them into killers and who is ultimately shot and killed as part of a murder-suicide. The film was directed byStanley Kubrickand was based on the novelThe Short-Timers.
Ermey’s unforgettable role as the drill instructor inFull Metal Jackethelped solidify his reputation for playing military characters—the character is an iconic one with a number of memorable lines, all written by Ermey himself, notable givenKubrick’s reputation for perfectionism. Those contributions, paired with Ermey’s personal experience, helped make the character feel realistic, and he was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor for the role.
