The 74-year-old actor, who died over the weekend, was best known for playing Gunnery Sergeant Hartman in Stanley Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket. Brought on as a technical advisor, the real-life Vietnam drill sergeant was hired after showing off his intimidating barks at marine extras during an audition. But as a conservative, he hasn’t always found it easy in Hollywood, claiming he was “blackballed” after voicing his views. In 2010 he spoke out against the Obama administration’s handling of the economy, despite having voted for the president in 2008 – even as an NRA board member.

GETTY Full Metal Jacket star ‘HATEFUL Hollywood liberals BLACKBALLED me for being conservative’

WB R Lee Ermey played Gunnery Sergeant Hartman in Full Metal Jacket

According to Yahoo Movies, he was at a fund-raising event for the Marine Corps Toys for Tots Charity when he criticised the government. He said: “The economy really sucks. Now I hate to point any fingers at anybody, but the present administration probably has a lot to do with that. “And the way I see it, they’re not going to quit until they bring this country to its knees. “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.”

Stars we've lost in 2018 Sun, August 5, 2018 Celebrities we've had to say goodbye to in 2018. Play slideshow BBC 1 of 89 BBC Radio Shropshire presenter Vicki Archer died aged 41 on 07 July

Although he apologised for his comments, the late star later claimed it had an effect on his career. Speaking with Fox News in 2016, he said: “I’ve had a very fruitful career. I’ve done over 70 feature films. “I’ve done over 200 episodes of [Outdoor Channel show GunnyTime]… and then [Hollywood] found out that I’m a Conservative. “I’m an Independent, but I said something bad about the president.”

WB R Lee Ermey was nominated for a Golden Globe for his role as Hartman