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Overview (5) |
Mini Bio (1) |
Family (2) |
Trade Mark (3) |
Trivia (24) |
Personal Quotes (39)
Overview (5)
| Born | in Emporia, Kansas, USA |
| Died | in Santa Monica, California, USA (pneumonia) |
| Birth Name | Ronald Lee Ermey |
| Nickname | The Gunny |
| Height | 6' (1.83 m) |
Mini Bio (1)
A talented character actor known for his military roles, Ronald Lee Ermey was in the United States Marine Corps for 11 years. He rose to the rank of Staff Sergeant, and later was bestowed the honorary rank of Gunnery Sergeant by the Marine Corps, after he served 14 months in Vietnam and later did two tours in Okinawa, Japan. After injuries forced him to retire from the Corps, he moved to the Phillipines, enrolling in the University of Manila, where he studied Criminology and Drama. He appeared in several Filipino films before being cast as a helicopter pilot in Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now (1979). Due to his Vietnam experiences, Coppola also utilized him as a technical adviser. He got a featured role in Sidney J. Furie's The Boys in Company C (1978), playing a drill instructor. Ermey worked with Furie again in Purple Hearts (1984).
However, his most famous (or infamous) role came as Gunnery Sergeant Hartman in Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket (1987), for which he was nominated for a Golden Globe. He did win the best supporting actor award from The Boston Society of Film Critics. Since then, he has appeared in numerous character roles in such films as Leaving Las Vegas (1995), Se7en (1995) and Dead Man Walking (1995). However, Ermey prefers comedy to drama, and has a comedic role in Saving Silverman (2001).
- IMDb Mini Biography By: Nick Johansen / honassen@yahoo.com
Family (2)
| Spouse |
Marianila (Nila) Ypon
(1981 -
15 April 2018) (his death)
(4 children)
Dolores M Janshen (1 August 1962 - 28 March 1969) (divorced) (2 children) |
| Parents |
John Edward Ermey
Betty Jane Ermey |
Trade Mark (3)
Known for playing military drill instructors
Commanding and dynamic delivery
Tough and often scary screen presence
Trivia (24)
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.
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.
Although he retired from the United States Marine Corps in 1971, Ermey was later awarded the Honorary rank of Gunnery Sergeant.
United States Marine Corps awards and decorations include: Meritorious Unit Commendation, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal (w/bronze service star), Vietnam Campaign Medal (w/60 Device), Vietnam Gallantry Cross (w/Palm), Good Conduct Medal (w/two bronze service stars), Marksman Badge (w/Rifle Bar) and Sharpshooter Badge (w/Pistol Bar).
After injuries forced him to retire from military service, he moved to the Phillipines and enrolled in the University of Manila, where he studied Criminology and Drama.
Used the same line ("You're not afraid of a little blood, are you?") in two consecutive movies -- Willard (2003) and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003). Both films were released in 2003 and both films just happened to be remakes as well.
Chosen as first celebrity spokesperson for Glock firearms and products in 2004.
Parodied his famous role from Full Metal Jacket (1987) (Gunnery Sergeant Hartman) as a Ghost in the comedy film The Frighteners (1996).
Aside from his early military roles, he often plays authority figures, such as sheriffs, police chiefs and other types of law-enforcement officers.
Has four children with wife Nila and two daughters from a previous marriage. Has nine grandchildren.
In 1987, he was involved in a jeep accident during the making of Full Metal Jacket (1987). At 1:00 am one morning, he skidded off the road, breaking all the ribs on his left side. He refused to pass out and kept flashing his car lights until a motorist stopped. In some scenes in the movie, he does not move his left arm at all.
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.
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.
Was seriously considered for the role of J. Jonah Jameson in Spider-Man (2002), before J.K. Simmons was cast.
Currently doing a series of radio and television commercials for Geico. [July 2010]
In January, 2014 he outraged animal rights activists by posting photos of himself on Facebook posing with dead lions he had shot in Africa. He also boasted of killing "Cape Buffalo, lion, lioness and wildebeest" on previous trips to Africa.
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.
Appeared in three films that were nominated for the Best Picture Academy Award: Apocalypse Now (1979), Mississippi Burning (1988) and Toy Story 3 (2010).
Was stationed at the USMC Recruit Depot in San Diego from 1965 to 1967.
Son of Betty Jane (Pantle) and John Edward Ermey. He was of mostly German and English descent, along with smaller amounts of Scots-Irish/Northern Irish, Irish, Welsh, Dutch, and Swiss-German, ancestry.
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.
Member of the National Rifle Association Board of Directors.
Spokesman for Victory Motorcycles.
He was born and died in the same years as Sondra Locke.
Personal Quotes (39)
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.
The bad news motivated the drill instructors that much more.
There was a huge, tremendous amount of disabled veterans and the Veteran's Administration just wasn't geared up for it. I know for a fact that it's getting better and better.
You'd be surprised how many kids and young people come to the website and send me email that they are actually going into the Marine Corp because of something that I said or did.
For me, it's an honor when the military asks me over to Iraq or Afghanistan or GITMO. I visit those places as much as possible. Also Austin - I've always enjoyed going there.
Communications are better now than in my Vietnam days.
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.
The biggest problem was the politicians knew nothing about fighting a war.
Back in those days, intimidation was the greatest tool any drill instructor had. Mindless obedience is what he's after; for that, he needs absolute and total control; for THAT, he's gotta be intimidating.
America's trying to do the best for its veterans.
I don't have to be concerned about everybody else's character.
Back in the old Corp, we weren't training those privates to infiltrate into the peacetime Marine Corp. We were training those privates to go to Vietnam.
I go the VA Hospital when I have a problem and the doctor jumps on me.
Without discipline, there is no Marine Corps.
Playing the good guy is tough because you know as well as I do, in real life, you have to watch your P's and Q's and conduct yourself in a respectable manner if you expect to have friends.
I'm never, like I say, I'm never happy, I'm never satisfied, it's never good enough.
There's a lot of whiners in every crowd.
Kubrick's films have life - they just never die.
I spend a lot of time with my characters.
I've never had to spend any time in the VA hospital, so I really can't speak for those guys.
Kubrick ate it up. He loved it. He just let me go crazy.
I firmly believe that, in order to give a solid performance, an actor's gotta have something he can bring to the table.
That's all I cared about too, was getting it right.
There have been a lot of changes in recruit training in the past twenty years.
We had times in '66 and '67 when we would pick up a platoon of privates out of the receiving barracks the week before we even graduated the platoon that we were on!
I play well with everybody.
It's been a pretty fun ride, to tell you the truth.
I disagree with a lot of those changes, however at the end of the day - I go down to recruit graduation at least once or twice a year.
Everybody respects the Vietnam Veterans of America.
I got space from Travis Air Force Base, went back to the Philippine Islands and made it a point to meet the only American casting director in the Philippines. I was off and running.
I honestly do feel that I am a role model for young people.
When you try to find funding for a VVA function, it doesn't seem like it's any trouble at all. People come out of the woodwork with their money to help out because we went over and fought a war.
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.
I got to write most of everything I said.
You can take a man out of the Corps, but you can't take the Corps out of the man.
