Picture credit: Warner Bros
American actor R. Lee Ermey has passed away, aged 74.
Ermey, a veteran of the Marines Corps himself, is perhaps best remembered for his role as hard-nosed, no-nonsense Gunnery Sgt. Hartman in the iconic film Full Metal Jacket (1987). His foul-mouthed tirades, witty insults, and savage putdowns directed at new recruits made cinematic history.
Ermey served in the Marines Corps between 1961 to 1972, which helped him bring an air of authenticity to his role as drill instructor in Stanley Kubrick’s seminal Vietnam tale.
The actor landed his first cinema part as a helicopter pilot in Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now (1979), and would go on to play mostly military-related roles in most of his films since.
Ermey passed away peacefully from complications arising from pneumonia, aged 74.