Say NOT his name or CY will sue you

[maxum96]

One of the nicest celebrities I've ever met is R Lee Ermey. I was on his show, "Mail Call" in 2005 and I've never met anyone so in tune with the fans. The man literally dropped what he was doing to talk with people on the set and pose for a couple of photos. Real class act and one of the funniest people I've ever met!

Sounds like what happened to famed RR photographer O Winston Link in his later years, the guy was practically a prisoner in his own home: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O._Winston_Link#Later_life

Some guys I worked with in the Border Patrol said the same thing about the Gunny when they met him. I guess they got him liquored up and he tried to do his routine from Full Metal Jacket, but was a little too sauced. I'd heard the story about O Winston Link. What a shame.

[p51]

I guess they got him liquored up and he tried to do his routine from Full Metal Jacket, but was a little too sauced.

He told me the most common photo people want to have with him is him choking them, of course from that movie. I Have three photos of me with the man, one in front of the Mail Call tent set, but the one of me and him in the western town set was the best of them. I pulled out my WW2 cap with captain's bars on it (that was my rank when i was in the Army), he looked at it and said, "I've been outranked! Oh well, maybe outranked, but never outclassed!"

[maxum96]

I didn't realize until recently, but R. Lee Ermey was one of the helicopter pilots in Apocalypse Now.

Last edited by maxum96 on Sat Jun 30, 2012 11:25 am, edited 1 time in total.

[Chunks]

Since this topic has wandered a little to autographs and celebs...

I have a very close friend that did some flying in the Pearl Harbor movie. We were eating lunch one day at the airport, and next to us a husband/wife briefly discussed his involvement with the movie. She ran over and asked "Did you get Ben Afflecks autograph??!!". He said "No, but he didn't get mine either". I think I blew salad dressing out of my eye sockets.

Chunks

[cptsmith]

When I was in Kuwait some of the original paratroopers from E/506 PIR came through to meet the troops. Malarkey, Hefron and Guarnere are well into their 80's but still serving.

[ZRX61]

I moved house a few weeks back, Packed up all my books to take with me... except one.. that one went in the trash can. No prizes for guessing which one...

[p51]

When I was in Kuwait some of the original paratroopers from E/506 PIR came through to meet the troops. Malarkey, Hefron and Guarnere are well into their 80's but still serving.

I met most of the E-506 vets as far back as the early 90s at one time or another. Dick Winters used to come to re-enacting events in PA and I'd talked with him several times, all before he got famous from the book and TV series.
Malarkey lives in the region I'm in now, and I've talked with him several times. Really nice guy. I had over an hour with him at an event once where nobody recognized him and he showed up early for his talk...

[PinecastleAAF]

I have Rocky the Flying Squirrel's autograph, he was a super nice guy.

[JohnB]

I didn't realize until recently, but R. Lee Ermey was one of the helicopter pilots in Apocalypse Now.

I didn't think he was trained in the military.
Did he get commercial training?

[Warbirdnerd]

I didn't realize until recently, but R. Lee Ermey was one of the helicopter pilots in Apocalypse Now.

I didn't think he was trained in the military.
Did he get commercial training?

Not sure he is a pilot, but he played one in Apocalypse Now
From R Lee's IDMB page:

Mini Biography
A talented character actor known for his military roles, R. Lee Ermey was in the United States Marine Corps for 11 years. He rose to the rank of Staff Sergeant, and later was bestowed the honorary rank of Gunnery Sergeant by the Marine Corps, after he served 14 months in Vietnam and later did two tours in Okinawa, Japan. After injuries forced him to retire from the Corps, he moved to the Phillipines, enrolling in the University of Manila, where he studied Criminology and Drama. He appeared in several Filipino films before being cast as a helicopter pilot in Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now (1979). Due to his Vietnam experiences, Coppola also utilized him as a technical adviser. He got a featured role in Sidney J. Furie's The Boys in Company C (1978), playing a drill instructor. Ermey worked with Furie again in Purple Hearts (1984). However, his most famous (or infamous) role came as Gunnery Sergeant Hartman in Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket (1987), for which he was nominated for a Golden Globe. He did win the best supporting actor award from The Boston Society of Film Critics. Since then, he has appeared in numerous character roles in such films as Leaving Las Vegas (1995), Se7en (1995) and Dead Man Walking (1995). However, Ermey prefers comedy to drama, and has a comedic role in Saving Silverman (2001). Ronald Lee Ermey continues to be one of the best character actors in the business, and you can bet that when his name appears in a movie's credits, he is going to be top notch in his role.

Found it here:
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000388/bio

[maxum96]

Go to 3:20 on this youtube clip and you'll hear and see the Gunny in Apocalypse Now.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gz3Cc7wlfkI

[Baldeagle]

Yeager is on my Facebook page (I'm sure he would say that I'm on his...), I was tempted to hide him but his comments can be amusing, though maybe not intentionally. He isn't coming to Oshkosh this year, quote on his page from his wife:

"From Mrs. Yeager: the folks that run AirVenture broke their word and in return for them breaking their word, did not invite Gen Yeager. They do behave disrespectfully to him."

Might be another side of the story...

Some of the things that are written there make me wonder if his wife doesn't do most of "his" posting.

As for other celebrities, I got to hang around with James Franco a bit while working on "Flyboys", taught him how to taxi a Nieuport 17. He didn't seem to be too popular with a lot of the crew, as he liked to keep to himself and seemed stand-offish, but might've been just a private type. Also he was compared for friendliness to the "lesser known" actors, who were pretty much universally great, Tyler Labine, Martin Henderson, Abdul Salis, and the others were very personable and friendly. Some of them you've seen on TV in various roles in the years since, but might not recognize.

And a friend of mine worked with Tom Cruise on "Valkyrie" and said that he got a very good impression of him.

All limited experiences of course.


-

[maxum96]

Some of the things that are written there make me wonder if his wife doesn't do most of "his" posting.

You think? I'd bet a year's salary that she set up the Facebook page and does all the posts on it. I'd also be willing to bet none of it's his. Everything I've ever heard or read about Victoria screams gold digger. Supposedly she didn't have too good of a reputation even before she married CY.