R. Lee Ermey has had one of the most unique acting careers in Hollywood. A Marine at the age of 17, Ermey got his first acting gig while he was in college in the Philippines. That first role? Just a small part in a little movie known as Apocalypse Now, the Francis Ford Coppola classic. Many of his roles, and a few on this list, play on his real-life military experiences, making those performances feel truly authentic. His knack for playing authority figures both inside and outside the military in his roles has helped to make Ermey one of the most memorable stars forty plus years. Sadly, Ermey passed away in 2018 from complications related to pneumonia. Let’s take a retrospective look back at six of his best performances.
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6 The Frighteners (1996)
Universal Pictures
Serving as one of Peter Jackson’s first mainstream films prior to his journey to Middle Earth, The Frighteners is a supernatural comedy starring Michael J. Fox. It tells the story of a man who becomes a ghost hunter after losing his wife to a car accident, and soon finds himself wrapped up with truly evil forces of darkness. R. Lee Ermey appears as Hiles, a ghost of a Master Sergeant in the military, who is essentially patrolling the graveyard he resides in. Eerily similar to a character found later on this list, Hiles chastises Fox’s character for stepping foot in his graveyard with a barrage of loud and robust insults only a drill sergeant could deliver. Playing off of his military experience and previous role in a Kubrick classic, Ermey delivers a memorable and hilarious performance as Hiles.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
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5 Se7en (1995)
New Line Cinema
Se7en is not only a classic film made by legendary director David Fincher, but it is one of the films that helped reinvent the murder mystery for modern audiences. Se7en follows two detectives on the trail of a serial killer, who is murdering people corresponding to the seven deadly sins. R. Lee Ermey takes on the role of the grizzled old police captain, trying to support his detectives through the gruesome actions of the serial killer they are trying to catch. Another example of Ermey’s military experience shining through, as his role as a police captain allows him to flourish as the authority figure.
4 Toy Story (1995)
Buena Vista Pictures Distribution
Toy Story features the voices of some of the biggest actors of all time, from Tom Hanks and Tim Allen, to Don Rickles and Wallace Shawn. Among those actors is R. Lee Ermey, who voices the character of Sergeant, the authoritative Army Man toy. Whether he is leading the mission to discover Andy’s new birthday gifts, or organizing the search party to look for a lost Buzz Lightyear, Ermey’s voice lends familiarity and grit to Sergeant, making him one of the most memorable toys from the 1995 classic and one of Pixar’s best movies.
3 The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)
The transition from Toy Story to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is not an easy one to make, but here we are. While most remakes of classic horror films tend to fall flat, 2003’s take on Leatherface holds up as one of the more solid efforts. A big part of that is the presence of R. Lee Ermey, who plays Sheriff Hoyt, and brother to Leatherface, the man who puts this bloody massacre into motion. Hoyt is a truly sadistic and evil man, and Ermey plays the character to great effect, helping to terrify a whole new generation of moviegoers and successfully honoring one of the best horror movies of the ’70s.
2 Mississippi Burning (1988)
Orion Pictures
Mississippi Burning was a compelling and eye-opening film when it opened in theaters in 1988, and remains so to this day. The story tells a tale of two F.B.I agents, played by Gene Hackman and Willem Dafoe, who investigate the murders of three civil rights activists in the deep south of Mississippi. During their investigation, they come into conflict with the Ku Klux Klan, local townspeople, the police, and an apologist Mayor Tillman, played by Ermey. Tillman brushes off the murders and overall racist culture of the community throughout the film, and finds the investigation to be nothing more than a hindrance to himself, the local police, and the town at large. The performance is one that can only be described as brilliantly frustrating, as Ermey plays the unlikeable Mayor Tillman so well.
1 Full Metal Jacket (1987)
Warner Bros. Pictures
A year before Mississippi Burning, Ermey had his breakout role in the classic Stanley Kubrick Vietnam War film, Full Metal Jacket. Widely considered to not just be Ermey’s best role, but one of the best Vietnam War movies ever. This war epic is split into two very different halves, the first half of the film showcasing cadets going through boot camp lead by Gunnery Sergeant Hartman, played by Ermey. The second half of the film chronicles the cadets time during the war in Vietnam. Sergeant Hartman is showcased in the first half as the incredibly foul-mouthed and overwhelmingly harsh drill sergeant. Doling out insults to the cadets that are still quoted today, and catching the eye of a particular cadet named Lawrence, whom he unleashes his harshest rhetoric and punishment on. It is Lawrence’s continued blunders that cause Hartman to institute mandatory punishment on all the cadets anytime Lawrence messes up. This led to the beating of Lawrence one night by his fellow cadets. The beating seems to have affected Lawrence for the better at first, before he ultimately suffers a complete mental breakdown after graduation, killing both Sergeant Hartman and himself.
Ermey’s role in Full Metal Jacket is clearly inspired by his time in the Marines. Ermey has stated as much, that he was simply playing the drill sergeant the way a drill sergeant was. Every role since Full Metal Jacket has had a twinge of Sergeant Hartman to it, certainly the military roles such as Sergeant in Toy Story, and Hiles in The Frighteners. Ermey developed his own method of acting, and it served him well, and it all started with Full Metal Jacket.
