R. Lee Ermey
- Highest Rated: Toy Story 2 (1999)
- Lowest Rated: Man of the House (2005)
- Birthday: Mar 24, 1944
- Birthplace: Emporia, Kansas, USA
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A few character actors make such an indelible impression with one role that they find it consistently impossible to outgrow that image. Anthony Perkins had it with Norman Bates, M. Emmet Walsh has it with Visser (from Blood Simple), and R. Lee Ermey will forever be associated with the sadomasochistic verbal rapist of a drill instructor, Gunnery Sgt. Hartman, from Stanley Kubrick's Vietnam opus, Full Metal Jacket (1987). Though Ermey never again quite matched the intensity of this role (or the gutter-bucket poetic invention of its obscene dialogue), it was enough to give him permanent recognition as a character actor among filmgoers, and to typecast him in a series of variants on that role, again and again, throughout his life.Born on March 24, 1944, in Emporia, KS, Ermey enlisted in the armed forces as a young man and hightailed it to Vietnam on a non-commissioned basis, but injuries forced him to retire from active duty. He received full disability pay and moved to Manila in the early '70s, where he managed to ably support himself on his USAF allotment (thanks to the lower cost of living) while studying for a degree in criminology. Each morning, Ermey visited the coffee shop at the Manila Hilton -- well-reputed as the haunt of American filmmakers shooting on-location in the Philippines -- until one of the directors happened to notice Ermey and asked him to pose for a series of blue jeans ads. This experience led to his film debut, a role as a retired soldier in a local production. By 1976, Ermey had appeared in several Filipino films. He broke into Hollywood films that year, when he slipped onto the set for Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now and convinced Coppola to hire him as a helicopter pilot. Indeed, the ex-officer's Vietnam experience came in handy and Coppola utilized him as a technical advisor. Ermey made his American cinematic debut -- and held to the military-man typecasting -- in Sidney J. Furie's comedy drama The Boys in Company C (1978), and the director's follow-up, Purple Hearts (1984). But his biggest break came shortly thereafter, when Stanley Kubrick -- a notorious tyrant himself -- tapped him to portray Gunnery Sgt. Hartman in Full Metal Jacket (1987). Ermey's evocation of the satanically profane, vile, and sadistic Hartman, laden with the thankless, brutal job of toughening up raw recruits before sending them to Vietnam (who eventually gets blown away by one of his trainees) dominates the film's first 45 minutes and provides an unforgettably realistic, disturbing portrait of military training. Thanks to his unique countenance and authoritative voice, Ermey maintained his image as a rough-hewn, tough-as-nails SOB onscreen.Neither Company C or Purple Hearts received substantial critical and public recognition (or a very wide release); in contrast, the broader exposure of Full Metal Jacket (it received an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay and a National Board of Review nomination for Best Picture) boosted Ermey's prominence -- immeasurably so. He followed it up with spots in such well-received pictures as Alan Parker's racial drama Mississippi Burning (1988) and Abel Ferrara's Body Snatchers (1993). In 1995, Ermey spoofed himself to great effect as the voice of the leader of the little green soldiers in Toy Story, and doubled it up with a turn as the vengeful father of a homicide victim in Tim Robbins' capital punishment drama Dead Man Walking. A third role in that same year -- as the boss of Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt in David Fincher's seminal work Seven -- elicited a positive (if limited) critical and public response for Ermey's portrayal.During the early 2000s, Ermey once again drew on his military expertise and background, albeit in a much different fashion, as host of the small-screen program Mail Call. Episodes featured him answering a series of viewer questions about various aspects of military life and history. In 2003, he returned to his dramatic roots (and managed to top the
Highest Rated Movies
-
Toy Story 2
100% -
Toy Story
100% -
Toy Story 3
98% -
Apocalypse Now
98%
Filmography
Movies
Rating |
Title |
Credit |
Box
|
Year |
---|---|---|---|---|
95% | Filmworker | Actor | — | 2018 |
17% | The Watch | Manfred | $34.2M | 2012 |
98% | Toy Story 3 | Sarge | $415M | 2010 |
Lock N Load With R. Lee Ermey | Actor | — | 2009 | |
Y.M.I. | Actor | — | 2008 | |
Solstice | Leonard | — | 2007 | |
13% | The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning | Sheriff Hoyt | $39.5M | 2006 |
Shark Bait | Jack | — | 2006 | |
57% | X-Men: The Last Stand | Seargant | $234.4M | 2006 |
9% | Man of the House | Capt. Nichols | $19.2M | 2005 |
37% | The Texas Chainsaw Massacre | Sheriff Hoyt | $80.2M | 2003 |
50% | Scenes of the Crime | Mr. Parker | — | 2003 |
64% | Willard | Mr. Martin | $6.8M | 2003 |
64% | The Salton Sea | Verne Plummer | $0.7M | 2002 |
Avalanche | Gary | — | 2002 | |
Frank McKlusky, C.I. | Jockey Master | — | 2002 | |
71% | Run Ronnie Run! | Lead Kidnapper | — | 2002 |
10% | Megiddo: The Omega Code 2 | Pres. Richard Benson | $5.7M | 2001 |
Jericho | Marshall | — | 2001 | |
61% | Recess: School's Out | Colonel O'Malley | $34.9M | 2001 |
On the Borderline | Capt. Elias | — | 2001 | |
18% | Saving Silverman | Football Coach | $19M | 2001 |
The Chaos Factor | Col. Ben Wilder | — | 2000 | |
Skipped Parts | Caspar Callahan | — | 2000 | |
Buzz Lightyear of Star Command: The Adventure Begins | Actor | — | 2000 | |
100% | Toy Story 2 | Sergeant | — | 1999 |
50% | Life | Older Sherriff Pike | — | 1999 |
You Know My Name | Nix | — | 1999 | |
The Apartment Complex | Frank Stanton | — | 1999 | |
20% | Gunshy | Jerry | — | 1998 |
32% | Switchback | Sheriff Buck Olmstead | — | 1997 |
Dead Men Can't Dance | Sen. Pullman Fowler | — | 1997 | |
59% | Prefontaine | Bill Bowerman | — | 1997 |
The Sender | Col. Rosewater | — | 1997 | |
Weapons of Mass Distraction | Titans' Owner | — | 1997 | |
63% | The Frighteners | Sgt. Hiles | — | 1996 |
67% | Soul of the Game | Wilkie Wilkinson | — | 1996 |
Chain of Command | Benjamin Brewster | — | 1996 | |
95% | Dead Man Walking | Clyde Percy | — | 1995 |
100% | Toy Story | Sergeant | — | 1995 |
90% | Leaving Las Vegas | Conventioneer | — | 1995 |
81% | Seven (Se7en) | Police Captain | — | 1995 |
The Rift (La Grieta) | Actor | — | 1995 | |
Savate | Benedict | — | 1995 | |
Under the Hula Moon | Colonel McIntire | — | 1995 | |
50% | Murder in the First | Judge Clawson | — | 1994 |
Love Is A Gun | Frank Deacon | — | 1994 | |
10% | On Deadly Ground | Stone | — | 1994 |
French Silk | Chief Crowder | — | 1994 | |
62% | Sommersby | Dick Mead | — | 1993 |
71% | Body Snatchers | General Platt | — | 1993 |
9% | Hexed | Ferguson | — | 1993 |
43% | True Identity | Houston's Boss (uncredited) | — | 1991 |
36% | Toy Soldiers | General Kramer | — | 1991 |
83 Hours 'til Dawn | Glen Fairling | — | 1990 | |
I'm Dangerous Tonight | Actor | — | 1990 | |
Kid | Luke | — | 1990 | |
Endless Descent | Randall Phillips | — | 1990 | |
The Terror Within II | Actor | — | 1990 | |
The Take | Weller | — | 1990 | |
37% | Fletch Lives | Jimmy Lee Farnsworth | — | 1989 |
The Siege of Firebase Gloria | Hafner | — | 1989 | |
Demonstone | Col. Joe Haines | — | 1989 | |
87% | Mississippi Burning | Mayor Tilman | — | 1988 |
91% | Full Metal Jacket | Hartman | — | 1987 |
Purple Hearts | Gunny | — | 1984 | |
98% | Apocalypse Now | Heliocopter Pilot | — | 1979 |
The Boys in Company C | Sgt. Loyce | — | 1978 |
TV
Rating |
Title |
Credit |
Year |
---|---|---|---|
71% |
Family Guy
1999
|
Voice |
|
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
1999
|
Walter Burlock |
|
|
35% |
Eleventh Hour
2008-2009
|
Bob Henson |
|
91% |
House
2004-2012
|
John House |
|
Rocket Power
1999-2004
|
Voice |
|
|
83% |
Scrubs
2001-2010
|
Janitor's Father |
|
93% |
Action
1999-2000
|
Titus Titus Scroad |
|
60% |
Cracker
1997-1999
|
Lt. Fry |
|
Promised Land
1996-1999
|
Leo Greene |
|
|
85% |
The Simpsons
1989
|
Voice |
|
74% |
The X-Files
1993-2018
|
Rev. Finley |
|
82% |
Tales from the Crypt
1989-1996
|
|
|
91% |
The Adventures of Brisco County Jr.
1993-1994
|
Marshal County Brisco Sr. |
|
Miami Vice
1984-1990
|
Haskell |
|
QUOTES FROM R. Lee Ermey CHARACTERS
- Gunnery Sgt. Hartman
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Well here`s something you won`t like, Private Snowball! They don`t serve fried chicken and watermelon down in the mess hall every day!
- Gunnery Sgt. Hartman
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Well it looks to me like the best part of you ran down the crack of your momma's ass and ended up as a brown stain on the mattress! I think you've been cheated!
- Gunnery Sgt. Hartman
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What is your major malfunction numbnuts? Didn't mommy and daddy show you enough attention when you were a child?
- Gunnery Sgt. Hartman
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Didn't mommy and daddy give you enough attention when you were a child?!
- Sheriff Hoyt
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I smell bullshit.
- Hiles
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Get back in the goddamn ground,you unorganised grab-asstic gob of teleplasmic shit!
- Sheriff Hoyt
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A man's home is his fuckin' castle!
- Stone
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My guy in D.C. tells me that we are not dealing with a student here, we're dealing with the Professor. Any time the military has an operation that can't fail, they call this guy in to train the troops. He's the kind of guy that would drink a gallon of gasoline so he could piss in your campfire! You could drop this guy off at the Arctic Circle wearing a pair of bikini underwear, without his toothbrush, and tomorrow afternoon he's going to show up at your pool side with a million dollar smile and fist full of pesos. This guy's a professional, you got me?
- Gunnery Sgt. Hartman
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You climb like old people fuck private pile!
- Gunnery Sgt. Hartman
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If god wanted you up there I am sure he would have miracled your ass up there by now private Pyle@
- Gunnery Sgt. Hartman
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If god wanted you up there I am sure he would have miracled your ass up there by now, private Pyle.
- Gunnery Sgt. Hartman
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You like the kind of boy who could suck a golf ball through a garden hose.
- Hartman
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I bet you could suck a golf ball through a garden hose.
- Gunnery Sgt. Hartman
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[addressing the Privates] There will be no racial bigotry here! I do not look down on niggers, kikes, wops, or greasers! Here, you are ALL equally useless!
- Gunnery Sgt. Hartman
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Where are you from, anyway?
- Pvt. Cowboy
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SIR, TEXAS, SIR!
- Gunnery Sgt. Hartman
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TEXAS? Holy dogshit! Only steers and queers come from texas!! And you don't much look like a steer to me so that kind of narrows it down. Do you suck dick?
- Pvt. Cowboy
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SIR, NO, SIR!
- Gunnery Sgt. Hartman
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I BET YOU'RE THE KIND OF GUY WHO'D FUCK A MAN IN THE ASS AND NOT HAVE THE COMMON COURTESY TO GIVE HIM A REACH-AROUND.
- Sergeant
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Mrs. Potato Head. Repeat. Mrs. Potato Head.
- Sergeant
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Potato Head! Repeat, a Mrs. Potato Head!
- Mr. Potato Head
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Gee I better shave. (Pulls off mustache)
- Mr. Potato Head
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Gee, I'd better shave! [pulls off mustache]
- Buzz Lightyear
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Hey Sarge what are you doing?
- Sarge
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War's over, me and the boys are shipping out!
- Buzz Lightyear
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You're going AWOL?
- Sarge
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We've done our duty. Andy's grown up.
- Sarge
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It has been a honor serving with you good luck folks!
- Woody
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Sergeant, establish a recon post downstairs. Code Red, You know what to do.
- Sergeant
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Yes, sir! All right, men You heard him. Code Red! Repeat: we are at Code Red. Recon plan Charlie. Execute! Let's move, move,move, move, move!
- Woody
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Hey Sarge have you seen Slinky?
- Sergeant
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Sir, no sir!
- Woody
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Whoa okay at ease!
- Gunnery Sgt. Hartman
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You're so ugly you could be a modern art masterpiece!
- Manfred
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Shut your cocksucker!
- Gunnery Sgt. Hartman
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Well Any Fucking Time Sweetheart!
- Gunnery Sgt. Hartman
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Well any fucking time sweetheart!
- Gunnery Sgt. Hartman
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I want that head so sanitary and squared away that the Virgin Mary herself would be proud to go in there and take a dump.
- Gunnery Sgt. Hartman
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do you suck dick........ sir no sir bull shit i bet you could suck a golf ball through a garden hose.
- Gunnery Sgt. Hartman
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Bullshit. I bet you could suck a golfball through a garden hose.
- Mayor Tilman
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Do you like baseball, do you, Anderson?
- Rupert Anderson
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Yeah, I do. You know, it's the only time when a black man can wave a stick at a white man and not start a riot.
- Gunnery Sgt. Hartman
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You little scumbag! I've got your name! I've got your ass! You will not laugh! You will not cry! You will learn by the numbers and I will teach you!
- Gunnery Sgt. Hartman
-
How tall are you, private?
- Pvt. Cowboy
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Sir, five-foot-nine, sir.
- Gunnery Sgt. Hartman
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Five-foot-nine, I didn't know they stacked shit that high!
- Police Captain
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( picks up phone and slams it down) - This isn't even my desk!
- Police Captain
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[picks up phone and slams it down] This isn't even my desk!
- Gunnery Sgt. Hartman
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Hell I like you. You can come to my house and fuck my sister.
- Sheriff Hoyt
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I started to think you like wasting my time blonde. Hurry up! (While Dean puts dead biker lady in front seat).
- Sheriff Hoyt
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I started to think you like wasting my time blonde. Hurry up! [while Dean puts dead biker lady in front seat]
- Sheriff Hoyt
-
Get her in there God damn it she's deader than a God damn doornail.
- Sheriff Hoyt
-
Lift her up and just kind of pull her over your way there. She ain't gonna bite you. She's deader than a goddamn doornail.
- Gunnery Sgt. Hartman
-
I will give you three seconds, exactly three fucking secinds, to wipe that stupid grin off your face, or I will gouge out your eyeballs and skull-fuck you!
- Sheriff Hoyt
-
People may not remember what we say here tonight, but by God they'll remember what we did.
- Sheriff Wintson
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(about tom aka Leatherface) - If you raised that retard right...you and me, we ain't taking this drive right now.
- Sheriff Wintson
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(about tom aka Leatherface) If you raised that retard right...you and me, we ain't taking this drive right now.
- Sheriff Hoyt
-
He ain't retarded, he's misunderstood
- Sheriff Hoyt
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Come on Tommy, ain't no different than the slaughterhouse. Meat's meat, Bone's bone...Get it done.
- Sheriff Hoyt
-
Come on Tommy, ain't no different than the slaughterhouse. Meat's meat, Bone's bone. Get it done.
- Chrissie
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(Hoyt finishes saying grace) I have a question for you. It involves the family tree, the lineage, if you will. It's like a system through a table...Do you guys f**k all your cousins, or just the ones you find attractive?
- Chrissie
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(Hoyt finishes saying grace) I have a question for you. It involves the family tree, the lineage, if you will. It's like a system through a table. Do you guys f**k all your cousins, or just the ones you find attractive?
- Sheriff Hoyt
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You blasphemous bitch! This is redemption lady, that's what this is! Oh your all gonna pay for your sins, that's right. And especially you!
- Sheriff Hoyt
-
There comes a time, when a boy, becomes a man.
- Holden
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I'm looking for the girl.
- Sheriff Hoyt
-
The girl? She's right there. (Points to Bailey)
- Holden
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That's not her.
- Sheriff Hoyt
-
Well if that's not the girl then...oh I don't think you wanna see the other one.
- Sheriff Hoyt
-
Tommy? Tommy? We need you upstairs. Bring your little toy with you.
- Luda Mae
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What are you gonna do to him?
- Sheriff Hoyt
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Nothing but a little surgery. Come on now Tommy.
- Monty
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(Chainsaw revs, Monty's leg is sliced off, the other leg cut in the process) - AAAAAAAAAHH!
- Monty
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(Chainsaw revs, Monty's leg is sliced off, the other leg cut in the process) AAAAAAAAAHH!
- Sheriff Hoyt
-
Now come on Tommy, that's sloppy work. Fix it up!
- Luda Mae
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No...No!
- Monty
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(Hoyt cuts off other leg clean) - AAAAAAAAAAHH!
- Monty
-
(Hoyt cuts off other leg clean) AAAAAAAAAAHH!
- Luda Mae
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What on earth did you do that for?!
- Sheriff Hoyt
-
...Balance.
- Sheriff Hoyt
-
Balance.
- Sheriff Hoyt
-
Get her in there! I think you like wasting my time blondie!
- Luda Mae
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(seeing baby Leatherface for the first time) - Isn't he beautiful?
- Luda Mae
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(seeing baby Leatherface for the first time) Isn't he beautiful?
- Sheriff Hoyt
-
That's the ugliest thing I ever saw.
- Sheriff Hoyt
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My money says he ain't going nowhere!
- Sheriff Hoyt
-
(to Eric) - You don't like playing with me anymore 'cause I'm a pus*y, that's what you said. Well my nephew Tommy ain't no pus*y, maybe you wanna play with him for a little while.
- Sheriff Hoyt
-
(to Eric) You don't like playing with me anymore 'cause I'm a pus*y, that's what you said. Well my nephew Tommy ain't no pus*y, maybe you wanna play with him for a little while.
- Chrissie
-
Why are you doing this?
- Sheriff Hoyt
-
No talking until I've said grace, a**hole.
- Sheriff Hoyt
-
(after shooting the sheriff of a small town) - Damn, I just killed the entire police department!
- Sheriff Hoyt
-
(after shooting the sheriff of a small town) Damn, I just killed the entire police department!
- Sheriff Hoyt
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We're on our own tonight people...and alone, we shall rise above it all!
- Sheriff Hoyt
-
We're on our own tonight people and alone, we shall rise above it all!
- Sheriff Hoyt
-
As long as we stick together there ain't nothing we can't handle!
- Sheriff Hoyt
-
(after seeing Leatherface with a mask for the first time) - I like your new face.
- Sheriff Hoyt
-
(after seeing Leatherface with a mask for the first time) I like your new face.
- Sheriff Hoyt
-
See whatcha did boy?
- Erin Hardesty
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What's wrong with you fu**ing people?
- Sheriff Hoyt
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(smiles) - Nothing wrong with us.
- Sheriff Hoyt
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(smiles) Nothing wrong with us.
- Sheriff Hoyt
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You kids shouldn't have messed with that little girl.
- Sheriff Hoyt
-
(talking to Morgan; who's in the back seat of the cop car) - Where was y'all headed?
- Sheriff Hoyt
-
(talking to Morgan; who's in the back seat of the cop car) Where was y'all headed?
- Morgan
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Dallas...for a Skynyrd concert.
- Morgan
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Dallas, for a Skynyrd concert.
- Sheriff Hoyt
-
Skynyrd? Hell, i like Skynyrd. By god, how about that? We got something in common, don't we? Ha-ha-ha...Well, what are you gonna do with your tickets now, hot shot?
- Sheriff Hoyt
-
Skynyrd? Hell, I like Skynyrd. By god, how about that? We got something in common, don't we? Ha-ha-ha. Well, what are you gonna do with your tickets now, hot shot?
- Morgan
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You can have them.
- Sheriff Hoyt
-
Is that bribery? (Smashes Morgan in the face with a glass bottle; breaking his teeth) Oh, that was really rude, wasn't it? Oh, look at you. How about that? Look at that shit. (The Sheriff pulls out his fake teeth) We got something else in common now. Ha-ha-ha...
- Sheriff Hoyt
-
Is that bribery? (Smashes Morgan in the face with a glass bottle; breaking his teeth) Oh, that was really rude, wasn't it? Oh, look at you. How about that? Look at that shit. (The Sheriff pulls out his fake teeth) We got something else in common now. Ha-ha-ha.
- Sheriff Hoyt
-
(talking to Morgan) - You ain't lying to me again, are you? - Because i have never seen a weapon go off without somebody's finger on the fu**ing trigger.
- Sheriff Hoyt
-
(talking to Morgan) You ain't lying to me again, are you? Because I have never seen a weapon go off without somebody's finger on the fu**ing trigger.
- Sheriff Hoyt
-
Now we're getting someplace...Who's killing who?!
- Sheriff Hoyt
-
Now we're getting someplace. Who's killing who?!
- Sheriff Hoyt
-
[sniff-sniff-sniff] I smell bullsh*t.
- Sheriff Hoyt
-
Protect and serve. That's what we do.
- Sheriff Hoyt
-
(talking to Morgan and Andy as they're putting the dead girl in the backseat of the cop car) - Hey! Get that nasty goddamn thing out of the back seat of my goddamn car! Put it in the trunk. What the hell's the matter with you? - ...Don't break...Don't break my stuff.
- Sheriff Hoyt
-
(talking to Morgan and Andy as they're putting the dead girl in the backseat of the cop car) Hey! Get that nasty goddamn thing out of the back seat of my goddamn car! Put it in the trunk. What the hell's the matter with you? Don't break. Don't break my stuff.
- Sheriff Hoyt
-
(about the dead girl in the van) - I bet she's real unhappy, real sorry that you're getting fu**ing her blood all over your goddamn arm. You know, back when i was a young patrolman, i used to love wrapping up these young honies.
- Sheriff Hoyt
-
(about the dead girl in the van) I bet she's real unhappy, real sorry that you're getting fu**ing her blood all over your goddamn arm. You know, back when i was a young patrolman, i used to love wrapping up these young honies.
- Andy
-
Yeah, i bet you did.
- Sheriff Hoyt
-
Yeah, cop me a little bit of a feel every now and then, you know...Oh, look at that. She's kind of wet down there. What you boys been doing with this dead body anyway?
- Sheriff Hoyt
-
(about removing the dead girl from the van) - How about giving me a hand here, a**hole? You don't expect me to do this by myself?
- Sheriff Hoyt
-
(about removing the dead girl from the van) How about giving me a hand here, a**hole? You don't expect me to do this by myself?
- Sheriff Hoyt
-
Now, it's just an educated guess, but my money says your dead body is right there in that van.
- Gunnery Sgt. Hartman
-
What is your major malfunction?