Trivia / The Boys in Company C

• Actor-Shared Background: R Lee Ermey was indeed a Marine Corps Drill Instructor during the 1960s. He's also from Emporia, like his character.
• California Doubling: Set in Vietnam, filmed in the Philippines.
• Enforced Method Acting: R Lee Ermey didn't know that Stan Shaw had a switchblade hidden in his shirt pocket. When he pulls the knife out in the inspection scene, that's his genuine reaction.
• Follow the Leader: Stanley Kubrick admitted to being heavily inspired by this when creating Full Metal Jacket.
• Unbuilt Casting Type: Before he was typecast as a Drill Sergeant Nasty or other similar villains, R Lee Ermey plays with that character type in his film debut; Sgt Loyce has the occasional Pet the Dog moment and shares a scene with Tyrone that clarifies he knows most of the men he's training are doomed to die in battle, and he's preparing them for the worst.