Actor R. Lee Ermey of 'Full Metal Jacket' dies at 74

ByABC7.com staff WTVD logo
Monday, April 16, 2018
Actor and former marine R. Lee Ermey dead at 74
Joe Torres has more on the life and career of R. Lee Ermey.

Actor R. Lee Ermey, best known for his role as a tough drill instructor in "Full Metal Jacket" has died at age 74, his manager announced Sunday.

Ermey died from complications of pneumonia, according to manager Bill Rogin.

"He will be greatly missed by all of us. Semper Fi, Gunny. Godspeed," Rogin wrote on Tiwitter.

Ermey was a U.S. Marine Corps sergeant in real life and then rose to his greatest acting fame portraying Gunnery Sergeant Hartman in the Stanley Kubrick film.

He made dozens of other appearances in film and television, a number of them in military roles. He also hosted documentary shows on the military including "Lock N' Load with R. Lee Ermey" on the History Channel and "GunnyTime" on the Outdoor Channel.