R Lee Ermey
Born: March 24 1944
Where: Emporia, Kansas, USA
The former US Army Marine Corps staff sergeant is famous for military roles in movies including Apocalypse Now and Full Metal Jacket.
After injuries forced him to retire from military service, he moved to the Phillipines, enrolling in the University of Manila, where he studied Criminology and Drama.
He appeared in several Phillipino films, before being cast as a chopper pilot in Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now.
Due to his Vietnam experience (he did one-and-a-half tours), Coppola also used him as a technical advisor in the film.
Ermey subsequently landed a featured role in Sidney Furie's The Boys in Company C, Playing A drill instructor.
His most famous role remains Gunnery Sergeant Hartman in Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket, for which Ermey was nominated for a Golden Globe.
Subsequent appearances include Toy Soldiers, Sommersby, Chain of Command and Leaving Las Vegas.
In 1995, he played the police captain in Se7en and voiced Sarge in the box office smash Toy Story.
Switching between TV and feature work, he leaned towards comedy roles such as Coach Norton in Saving Silverman.
Recent work includes the comedy horror film Willard and the remake of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
