Private Gomer Pyle

Private Leonard "Gomer Pyle" Lawrence is the deuteragonist turned main antagonist of the first half of the critically acclaimed 1987 war film, Full Metal Jacket. He is a large, obese, and slightly dim-witted man who earns the name "Gomer Pyle" after incurring Gunnery Sergeant Hartman's wrath. Unresponsive to Hartman's harsh discipline, Pyle is eventually assigned to Joker's squad. Pyle improves with Joker's help, but his progress halts when Hartman discovers a contraband jelly doughnut in Pyle's foot locker. Believing the recruits have failed to improve Pyle, Hartman adopts a collective punishment policy: every mistake Pyle makes will earn punishment for the rest of the platoon, with Pyle being spared. In retaliation for Pyle's failures, the platoon hazes and brutalizes him with a blanket party, restraining him in his bunk while beating him with bars of soap wrapped in towels and used like blackjacks. After this incident, Pyle reinvents himself as a model Marine. This impresses Hartman but worries Joker, who recognizes signs of mental breakdown in Pyle, such as him talking to his M14 rifle.

After they graduate, Pyle suffers a severe mental breakdown in the bathroom at the camp, loading his rifle with live ammunition. Joker attempts to calm Pyle, who executes drill commands and loudly recites the Rifleman's Creed. This wakes up the platoon, including Hartman who comes into the bathroom, and notices Pyle with his rifle. He tries to get him to surrender by yelling more insults at him, only for Pyle to shoot him dead, in his only wicked act. Private Joker then says, "Easy, Leonard!". Leonard then regains his consciousness and realizes what he's done and that he might be punished severely, possibly by death, so he shoots himself dead in the bathroom as Joker watches in sorrow and horror.

He is portrayed by actor Vincent D'Onofrio, who also played Kingpin, Commander Vic Hoskins, David Hagan, Edgar the Bug, Lester Clark, and Carl Rudolph Stargher.