R. Lee Ermey has passed on at the age of 74.
He will always be known as the ex-military seargant that became a legitimate actor after playing the vulgar, loudmouth Gunnery Sergeant Hartman in Stanley Kubrick‘s "Full Metal Jacket." Even if you're not a fan of Kubrick's messy war movie, and a case could be made about a weak second half, you could never unsee the brilliance Ermey displayed in the film's first 45 minutes as Hartman. Nothing in his career would ever eclipse the masterclass in vulgar comedy he gave in that movie, but that led to a 33-year period of fruitful acting opportunities in the industry for him. What can you say about a guy that built a career without much experience to begin with, especially in such films as "Mississippi Burning," "Se7en," "Leaving Las Vegas," "Dead Man Walking," and the 2003 remake of "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre?" He even voiced Sarge in "Toy Story."
Sadly, he also claimed to be victimized these last 8 years of his life within the industry, mostly due to his stance against the Obama administration, which consequentially had Hollywood blackball him. Of course, I don't know if there is any truth to that, but his claims no doubt don't seem too far-fetched in the grander scheme of things.
From Wikipedia:
“On December 10, 2010, Ermey denounced the Obama administration’s economic policies while speaking at a Marine Corps Reserve’s Toys for Tots rally, stating that it was difficult to raise money for the charity because ‘the economy sucks’. He went on to say, ‘We should all rise up, and we should stop this administration from what they’re doing because they’re destroying this country. They’re driving us into bankruptcy so that they can impose socialism on us, and that’s exactly what they’re doing, and I’m sick and damn tired of it and I know you are too.’"