R. Lee Ermey’s daughter recalls growing up with ‘Full Metal Jacket’ star, his dedication to the troops
Fox News,
by
Stephanie Nolasco
Original Article
Posted By: Pluperfect,
4/15/2019 2:06:05 PM
Betty Ermey says she still feels the larger-than-life presence of her beloved father, R. Lee Ermey, a Marine-turned-Hollywood star. Ermey, who rose to fame on screen as the no-nonsense drill instructor in Stanley Kubrick’s 1987 film “Full Metal Jacket,” passed away on April 15, 2018, at age 74 from pneumonia. He is survived by his wife, two brothers, six children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, The New York Times reported. “I still feel him around,” Betty told Fox News. “I still hear his voice. I was just so lucky. I’m thankful there’s so much recording of him. Because on those days
Reply 1 - Posted by:
DVC 4/15/2019 2:40:14 PM (No. 34793)
A good, strong man left us last year.
RIP, sir.
The signal is: Bravo Zulu!
17 people like this.
Reply 2 - Posted by:
antidem 4/15/2019 2:50:00 PM (No. 34796)
What a wonderful man.
Hollywood leftists were too small to include this man in the “look-back at who we lost” reel at the oscars.
18 people like this.
Reply 3 - Posted by:
Vaquero45 4/15/2019 3:04:17 PM (No. 34795)
I went to boot camp at MCRD San Diego in 1967. For the last 30 years, if anyone asked me what it was like, I always said “ever seen ‘Full Metal Jacket?’ It’s pretty close to that.”
RIP, “Gunny” - we miss you.
24 people like this.
Reply 4 - Posted by:
NorthernDog 4/15/2019 3:04:42 PM (No. 34799)
Sounds like every day was an adventure with Lee. I´m glad he got to help out so many military personnel in his lifetime.
13 people like this.
Reply 5 - Posted by:
DVC 4/15/2019 3:07:48 PM (No. 34797)
#3, two young men, brothers and honorary nephews who I mentored and tutored for their entire lives, went through MCRD San Diego in the last several years. They both tell me that it was "very hard" but that they are very pleased at their choice. Both on active duty now, on east coast, one west coast.
17 people like this.
Reply 6 - Posted by:
Condor44 4/15/2019 3:17:43 PM (No. 34792)
# 3, I went to Parris Island in 1965. Just like you, when asked how it was, I alwas refer to "Full Metal Jacket". Semper Fi Gunny!
14 people like this.
Reply 7 - Posted by:
Fat Elvis 4/15/2019 4:05:44 PM (No. 34800)
Gunny was a great American, a solid actor and a great human being.
Funny too. He appeared in a movie called Hexed with Arye Gross, the late Adrienne Shelley, and Claudia Christian, where he played a homicide detective who has to deal with an obnoxious hotel guest who is a suspect in a homicide. The cops backing up his character end up beating the supect a la Rodney King in the hotel lobby while the scene is filmed by another guest. I could not stop laughing for at least 5 minutes straight. It´s one of Ermey´s finest moments on screen.
Nice article.
Rest In Peace, Gunny.
10 people like this.
Reply 8 - Posted by:
snakeoil 4/15/2019 5:21:13 PM (No. 34794)
Fabulous actor. Ever since seeing Full Metal Jacket I have had absolutely no desire to eat a jelly doughnut. A movie similar to FMJ is The DI starring Jack Webb of Dragnet fame. It´s FMJ minus the salty language which could be used back in those days. The most unlikely DI I can imagine is Don Adams of Get Smart fame. He was an actual DI. Gunney will live forever on the Military History channel. RIP.
15 people like this.
Reply 9 - Posted by:
GO3 4/15/2019 6:01:35 PM (No. 34790)
IIRC, the Hollywood collective publicly criticized the selection of Platoon over FMJ for the best picture Oscar. Naturally, Platoon was given preference because it showed absolutely no positive aspects of the war, drugged up GIs, i.e., the usual suspects. It finally dawned on them that maybe picking the pathetic REMF Oliver Stone over Kubrick was a big mistake.
9 people like this.
Reply 10 - Posted by:
Ruhn 4/15/2019 6:04:04 PM (No. 34798)
Stanley Kubrick was notorious for repetitive takes for one scene. In the opening scene of Full Metal Jacket, where the recruits of platoon 3092 are introduced to their Senior Drill Instructor, Kubrick was so impressed by Ermey’s performance on the first take, that no other takes were necessary. Ermey nailed it.
Semper Fi, Gunny!
13 people like this.
Reply 11 - Posted by:
panther361 4/15/2019 6:31:40 PM (No. 34802)
I had the privilege of meeting the man at a show, I think in San Jose a good while back. We talked a bit, he seemed just a great guy. Irreplaceable. Semper Fi gunny and welcome home brother!
11 people like this.
Reply 12 - Posted by:
red1066 4/15/2019 7:37:58 PM (No. 34791)
R. Lee Ermey wasn´t even originally cast as the drill Sargent for "Full Metal Jacket". Kubrick had cast someone else and was already to start shooting. It was an assistant to Kubrick that convinced Kubrick to take a look at Ermey. Once Ermey auditioned for the part, Kubrick knew Ermey was it.
11 people like this.
A man that can laugh in life has a good life. His daughter really loved her father. RIP
7 people like this.
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