- Matthew Modine as Private/Sergeant J. T. "Joker" Davis, a wisecracking young Marine. On set, Modine kept a diary that in 2005 was adapted into a book and in 2013 into an interactive app.[9]
- Adam Baldwin as Sergeant "Animal Mother," a combat-hungry machine gunner who takes pride in killing enemy soldiers. Arnold Schwarzenegger was first considered for the role but turned it down in favor of a part in The Running Man.[10]
- Vincent D'Onofrio as Private Leonard "Gomer Pyle"[a] Lawrence, an overweight, slow-minded recruit who is the subject of Hartman's mockery. D'Onofrio heard from Modine of the auditions for the film. D'Onofrio recorded his audition using a rented video camera and was dressed in army fatigues. According to Kubrick, Pyle was "the hardest part to cast in the whole movie"; Modine suggested D'Onofrio to Kubrick, so he cast him in the part.[12][13] D'Onofrio was required to gain 70 pounds (32 kg).[14][15]
- Lee Ermey as Gunnery Sergeant Hartman, a harsh, foul-mouthed and ruthless senior drill instructor. Ermey used his actual experience as a U.S. Marines drill instructor in the Vietnam War to improvise much of his dialogue.[16][17]
- Dorian Harewood as Corporal "Eightball," a member of the squad and Animal Mother's friend.
- Arliss Howard as Private/Sergeant "Cowboy" Evans, a friend of Joker and a member of the Lusthog Squad.
- Kevyn Major Howard as Private First Class "Rafterman," a combat photographer.
- Ed O'Ross as First Lieutenant Walter J. "Touchdown" Schinoski, the Lusthog Squad's platoon leader.
- John Terry as First Lieutenant Lockhart, the editor of Stars and Stripes.
- Kieron Jecchinis (credited as Keiron Jecchinis) as Sergeant "Crazy Earl," the first Lusthog Squad leader.
- Bruce Boa as a colonel who harasses Joker for wearing a peace symbol on his lapel.
- Kirk Taylor as "Payback"
- John Stafford as "Doc Jay," a Navy hospital corpsman providing medical support for the squad.
- Tim Colceri as Doorgunner, a ruthless and sadistic helicopter door gunner who suggests that Joker and Rafterman write a story about him. Colceri, a former Marine, was originally slated to play Hartman, a role that went to Ermey. Kubrick gave Colceri this smaller part as a consolation.[18]
- Ian Tyler as Lieutenant Cleves, an officer present at the uncovering of a mass grave.
- Gary Landon Mills as Donlon, a squad member who works as a radio operator.
- Sal Lopez as "T.H.E. Rock"
- Papillon Soo Soo as a Da Nang prostitute
- Ngoc Le as the Viet Cong sniper
- Peter Edmund as Private "Snowball" Brown, a recruit in Hartman's platoon.
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