Mel Gibson apparently allowed Vince Vaughn to do quite a bit of improv as Sergeant Howell, and the actor approached it by viewing these taunts and insults as a vital way of preparing Desmond Doss (Andrew Garfield) and his unit for the horrors of Okinawa.
During the recent press junket for Hacksaw Ridge, I asked Vince Vaughn about the method behind the overall creation of the film’s tough-as-nails drill sergeant.
There’s a certain degree of humor to his boot camp scenes that feels rooted firmly in the silver screen history of war movies — particularly R. Lee Ermey’s scenes in Full Metal Jacket.