It just occurred to me that the name of actor R. Lee Ermey sounds like “early Army.”
That seems both an appropriate and ironic pun when you consider that Ermey is…like, older than dirt, and that he served as Staff Sergeant in the US Marine Corps for over a decade (and has since had the title of honorary Gunnery Sergeant bestowed upon him).
Ermey has voiced a lot of loud, in-your-face military-type characters for a host of animated series and films such as SpongeBob SquarePants, Kim Possible, Invader ZIM, Grim and Evil, Family Guy, and Pixar’s Toy Story films, and most recently as Wildcat in two episodes of Batman: The Brave and The Bold, and according to IMDb.com will voice a character named General Puddles in the CGI animated feature Cat Tale coming to theaters in 2010. Cat Tale‘s cast is packed with the celebrity voices of Elisha Cuthbert, David Cross, Jerry O’Connell, Sean Astin, Catherine O’Hara, Stanley Tucci, Rip Torn, Michael Richards, Wayne Knight, Fred Willard, Chazz Palminteri, and rocker Billy Idol.
Ermey will also be hosting the TV series Lock N’ Load which explores the engineering and development of weaponry. The show premieres July 29th at 9pm (ET) on The History Channel.
If you enjoy Ermey’s work and you’re proud to be an American, you must visit his official site — RLeeErmey.com — home to “Gunny’s” fan club and forum, and offers downloadables, recipes, polls, Mail Call TV show content, and official merchandise such as the exclusive 12-inch “Gunnery SGT R. Lee Ermey ‘Dress Blues’ Motivational Figure.” I’d describe it, but you really should see it for yourself. And for my fellow collectors of voice actor-related memorabilia out there, I’d say this one qualifies as a “must have.”
