Actor R. Lee Ermey, best known for his role in Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket, has died at the age of 74.
Ermey, whose nickname was 'The Gunny' and who played the role of Gunnery Sgt. Hartman in the 1987 film, was also a real-life U.S. Marine Corps staff sergeant and a Vietnam veteran, who was made to join the military by a judge at the age of 14 after getting into trouble one too many times.
His acting career began in the late 1970s when he played a Sergeant in The Boys in Company C and a helicopter pilot in Apocalypse Now. He went on to roles in everything from Se7en, Dead Man Walking, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake and even voiced the character of Sarge, the toy soldier, in the Toy Story films. His role in Full Metal Jacket earned him a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
He died yesterday morning due to complications from pneumonia, and news of his death was broken on Twitter by his longtime manager, Bill Rogin, who said: "It is with deep sadness that I regret to inform you all that R. Lee Ermey ("The Gunny") passed away this morning from complications of pneumonia. He will be greatly missed by all of us. Semper Fi, Gunny. Godspeed."
R.I.P.
