Who’s Your Favorite Screen Sergeant?

by Ashley Dale • September 12, 2011 • 46 comments

R. Lee Ermey has parlayed his role as Sgt. Hartman in the 1987 movie Full Metal Jacket into a long career as cable TV host and pitchman for, notably, Glock. Here are some other memorable hard-assed sergeants from cinema history. Here are nine we’ve chosen. Who’s your choice (other than Ermey) to fill out the Top 10?


All Quiet on the Western Front: (1930) John Wray as Sgt. Himmelstoss


Beau Geste: (1939) Brian Donlevy as Sgt. Markoff


Sands of Iwo Jima: (1949) John Wayne as Sgt. Stryker


Take the High Ground: (1953) Richard Widmark as Sgt. Ryan


The D.I.: (1957) Jack Webb as Sgt. Moore


Cross of Iron: (1977) James Coburn as Sgt. Steiner


Officer and a Gentleman: (1982) Lou Gossett as Sgt. Foley


Heartbreak Ridge: (1986) Clint Eastwood as Sgt. Highway


Jarhead: (2005) Jamie Foxx as Sgt. Sykes

In Featured • Tagged

46 Responses

  1. paul reader

    Bataan 1943 Robert Taylor as Sgt. Bill Dane

    On September 12, 2011 at 6:58 pm • Reply
  2. pimby

    R. Lee Ermey as Sgt. Loyce from Boys of Company C.

    On September 12, 2011 at 8:16 pm • Reply
  3. Ohio

    Sgt Malcom Reynolds

    On September 12, 2011 at 8:35 pm • Reply
  4. B67

    Nigel Green as Colour-Sergeant Bourne in the movie Zulu.

    On September 12, 2011 at 8:42 pm • Reply
    • P. O. Patriot

      Great choice.

      On November 1, 2011 at 8:00 am • Reply
    • brad

      yes, a most proper choice I'd say.

      On November 3, 2011 at 9:47 pm • Reply
    • Karl

      "And a bit o the cold steel Sir"

      On January 28, 2012 at 4:01 pm • Reply
  5. Rodolpho

    Clint Eastwood yes Big Heartbreak Ridge as sgt Highway

    On September 12, 2011 at 9:18 pm • Reply
  6. happycynic

    Morgan Freeman in Glory

    On September 12, 2011 at 9:20 pm • Reply
  7. Rich

    Heartbreak Ridge: (1986) Clint Eastwood as Sgt. Highway

    On September 12, 2011 at 10:37 pm • Reply
  8. Bob

    CSM Plumley from We Were Soldiers.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basil_Plumley

    On September 13, 2011 at 1:12 am • Reply
  9. Brian

    Colour Sergeant Bourne from Zule

    On September 13, 2011 at 2:29 am • Reply
  10. Manuel Perea

    James Coburn as Sgt. Steiner in Cross of Iron

    On September 13, 2011 at 10:23 am • Reply
  11. juke

    Victor McLaglen (1886–1959) Top Sgt. Quincannon in She wore a yellow ribbon

    On September 13, 2011 at 11:14 pm • Reply
  12. Owen

    Jack Webb in " The D.I. "

    On September 14, 2011 at 2:36 pm • Reply
  13. JB

    Sgt. Saunders (Vic Morrow) from Combat!

    On September 14, 2011 at 4:42 pm • Reply
  14. CallMeIshmael

    Sgt. Bilko beats 'em all.

    On September 15, 2011 at 7:35 am • Reply
    • B. Leonardo

      Bilko was a bit lame though….just funny.

      On September 15, 2011 at 11:32 pm • Reply
  15. B. Leonardo

    Cant make up my mind, there are just to many of them who are great. I choose all the above…….right ?

    On September 15, 2011 at 11:31 pm • Reply
  16. Mike Platteter

    First Sergeant Milton Warden as portrayed by Burt Lancaster in "From Here to Eternity."

    After that, Gary Cooper as Sergeant York.

    I wore six stripes.

    On September 15, 2011 at 11:45 pm • Reply
  17. JT

    Nigel Green as Colour Sergeant Bourne in Zulu

    On September 16, 2011 at 8:35 pm • Reply
  18. Pete

    Sam Elliot as CSM Plumley in We Were Soilders, definitely a good depiction of "Old Iron Jaw".

    On September 19, 2011 at 4:44 pm • Reply
    • Guest

      Galloway – But I'm a noncombatant.

      CSM Plumley – Ain't no such thing today, boy.

      On November 3, 2011 at 3:08 am • Reply
  19. Terry

    Gary Cooper aka Sgt York "Alvin, Ma wants ya Alvin"

    On September 23, 2011 at 7:01 pm • Reply
  20. rttlsnkrch

    what no mention of Sgt Carter, he put up with

    all the crazy things of Gomer Pyle?

    On September 25, 2011 at 4:21 am • Reply
  21. Rob

    James Caan, or James Earl Jones both from "Gardens of Stone"

    On October 3, 2011 at 8:39 pm • Reply
  22. Bill

    Sgt Schultz of Hogan's Heroes :)

    Perhaps Telly Savalas in Kelly's Heroes as MSgt. Big Joe too.

    On October 11, 2011 at 5:28 pm • Reply
    • Phil

      Also, Telly Savalas as Sgt Guffy in "Battle of the Bulge" (1965)

      On October 22, 2011 at 8:46 pm • Reply
  23. jay

    Sgt. Anderson (Tour of Duty)

    On October 19, 2011 at 5:42 pm • Reply
  24. Phil

    George Murphy as 'Pop' Stazak in "Battleground" (1949).

    On October 22, 2011 at 8:51 pm • Reply
  25. RifleMan Dodd

    Sgt Saunders. "Combat".

    On October 29, 2011 at 1:47 am • Reply
  26. exexpat11

    R. Lee Ermey all of his Sgt roles. Telly Savalas in Kelly's Heroes. And Coburn in Cross of Iron.

    On October 29, 2011 at 7:32 pm • Reply
  27. BUD 100 straight

    Woody Strode as Sgt. Rutledge Buffalo soldier

    On November 3, 2011 at 12:19 am • Reply
  28. SR Drew

    Sergeant Major Michael O'Rourke (Ward Bond) "Fort Apache"

    On November 11, 2011 at 4:16 pm • Reply
  29. Snug

    Lee Marvin "Big Red One"

    On November 15, 2011 at 12:01 am • Reply
  30. Kenny Tampa

    The platoon Sergeant in the movie "No Time for Sergeants" with Andy Griffith & Don Knotts.
    He played Sgt. Orville King
    » Myron McCormick (1908–1962)
    *The scene of him and another great character actor "Howard Smith" (as the Major General) at the end of the movie is a gut buster, timeless classic.

    On November 26, 2011 at 2:48 pm • Reply
  31. R Moore

    Warren Oates in "stripes".

    On November 27, 2011 at 3:45 am • Reply
  32. bruce

    Someone was right…………CMS Plumley because he was the real deal & not made up

    On December 2, 2011 at 3:12 pm • Reply
  33. Gary Rittenhouse

    Vic Morrow was the without a doubt the best,being A war movie fan, and A former Army Sgt. Sgt Saunders plays it the best

    On December 15, 2011 at 11:52 pm • Reply
  34. 19d40h

    sgt troy rat patrol

    On December 30, 2011 at 2:23 am • Reply
  35. InTheBlack

    Sgt. Rock, Easy Company … Okay, so I cheated bit, but in the comics, many of us were first introduced in an intimate way over an extended period of time to Army sergeants back in the 50's & 60's.

    Lots of kudos should be for Sgt. Audie Murphy. Just don't see too many true heroes like him on film, especially anyone awarded the Medal of Honor.

    Here's his bio: http://www.fortsillsamc.4t.com/catalog.html

    On January 1, 2012 at 7:19 am • Reply
  36. john

    ermy siege of fire base alice

    On January 2, 2012 at 4:21 pm • Reply
  37. tpick

    john wayne in sands of iwo jima

    On January 15, 2012 at 7:24 am • Reply
  38. Al Quick

    I joined the Marine Corps in 1965 just before the Viet Nam build up and the reorganizing of the military. We still had WWII Sgt's and even some old China Marines. John Wayne in Sands of Iwo Jima protrayed these old timers to a tee.

    On January 26, 2012 at 1:54 am • Reply
  39. Jim Kenny

    Sergeant Schultz (Hogans Heroes) :)

    On January 27, 2012 at 4:30 pm • Reply
  40. Ornery

    SSGT Clyde Bell, USA…He was never in the movies, but he was one of the best damn Sgt.'s that ever wore a flat hat.

    On February 11, 2012 at 3:27 pm • Reply