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Ernest Borgnine, Dennis Allen, and Jud Strunk in Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In (1967)

Ernest Borgnine in Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In (1967)

Ernest Borgnine and Dennis Allen in Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In (1967)

Ernest Borgnine and Montgomery Clift in From Here to Eternity (1953)

Ernest Borgnine and Robert Powell in Jesus of Nazareth (1977)

Ernest Borgnine in Jesus of Nazareth (1977)

Kirk Douglas, Ernest Borgnine, Janet Leigh, James Donald, and Dandy Nichols in The Vikings (1958)

Ernest Borgnine, Gene Hackman, Red Buttons, Stella Stevens, Jack Albertson, and Pamela Sue Martin in The Poseidon Adventure (1972)

Ernest Borgnine, Stella Stevens, and Stanley Bielecki in The Poseidon Adventure (1972)

Ernest Borgnine and Stella Stevens in The Poseidon Adventure (1972)

Ernest Borgnine and Gene Hackman in The Poseidon Adventure (1972)

Ernest Borgnine, Gene Hackman, Red Buttons, Roddy McDowall, Stella Stevens, Shelley Winters, Jack Albertson, Carol Lynley, Pamela Sue Martin, and Arthur O'Connell in The Poseidon Adventure (1972)

William Holden, Ernest Borgnine, Reinhard Kolldehoff, and Woody Strode in The Revengers (1972)

Ernest Borgnine in A Grandpa for Christmas (2007)

Ernest Borgnine and Juliette Goglia in A Grandpa for Christmas (2007)

Gary Cooper, Burt Lancaster, Ernest Borgnine, and Charles Bronson in Vera Cruz (1954)

Gary Cooper, Burt Lancaster, Ernest Borgnine, Morris Ankrum, and Juan García in Vera Cruz (1954)

Gary Cooper, Burt Lancaster, Ernest Borgnine, Charles Bronson, and James Seay in Vera Cruz (1954)

Gary Cooper, Ernest Borgnine, Charles Bronson, Jack Elam, Charles Horvath, and James Seay in Vera Cruz (1954)

Ernest Borgnine and Biagio Pelligra in Treasure Island in Outer Space (1987)

William Holden, Ernest Borgnine, Ben Johnson, and Warren Oates in The Wild Bunch (1969)

Ernest Borgnine, Gene Hackman, Stella Stevens, Shelley Winters, Jack Albertson, and Pamela Sue Martin in The Poseidon Adventure (1972)

Ernest Borgnine in The Poseidon Adventure (1972)

Ernest Borgnine, Red Buttons, Roddy McDowall, Stella Stevens, Shelley Winters, Jack Albertson, and Carol Lynley in The Poseidon Adventure (1972)

Ernest Borgnine, Gene Hackman, Stella Stevens, Connie Ducharme, Roseann Williams, and Frieda Rentie in The Poseidon Adventure (1972)

Ernest Borgnine, Gene Hackman, Leslie Nielsen, Stella Stevens, Kathryn Janssen, Carol Lynley, Pamela Sue Martin, Michael Omartian, Mark Tulin, and Waddy Wachtel in The Poseidon Adventure (1972)

Ernest Borgnine and Ray Milland in Three Brave Men (1956)

Ernest Borgnine and Bob Orrison in Convoy (1978)

Ernest Borgnine was born Ermes Effron Borgnino on January 24, 1917 in Hamden, Connecticut. His parents were Anna (Boselli), who had emigrated from Carpi (MO), Italy, and Camillo Borgnino, who had emigrated from Ottiglio (AL), Italy. As an only child, Ernest enjoyed most sports, especially boxing, but took no real interest in acting. At age 18, after graduating from high school in New Haven, and undecided about his future career, he joined the United States Navy, where he stayed for ten years until leaving in 1945. After a few factory jobs, his mother suggested that his forceful personality could make him suitable for a career in acting, and Borgnine promptly enrolled at the Randall School of Drama in Hartford. After completing the course, he joined Robert Porterfield's famous Barter Theatre in Abingdon, Virginia, staying there for four years, undertaking odd jobs and playing every type of role imaginable. His big break came in 1949, when he made his acting debut on Broadway playing a male nurse in "Harvey".

In 1951, Borgnine moved to Los Angeles to pursue a movie career, and made his film debut as Bill Street in The Whistle at Eaton Falls (1951). His career took off in 1953 when he was cast in the role of Sergeant "Fatso" Judson in From Here to Eternity (1953). This memorable performance led to numerous supporting roles as "heavies" in a steady string of dramas and westerns. He played against type in 1955 by securing the lead role of Marty Piletti, a shy and sensitive butcher, in Marty (1955). He won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance, despite strong competition from Spencer Tracy, Frank Sinatra, James Dean and James Cagney. Throughout the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, Borgnine performed memorably in such films as The Catered Affair (1956), Ice Station Zebra (1968) and Emperor of the North (1973). Between 1962 and 1966, he played Lt. Commander Quinton McHale in the popular television series McHale's Navy (1962). In early 1984, he returned to television as Dominic Santini in the action series Airwolf (1984) co-starring Jan-Michael Vincent, and in 1995, he was cast in the comedy series The Single Guy (1995) as doorman Manny Cordoba. He also appeared in several made-for-TV movies.

Ernest Borgnine has often stated that acting was his greatest passion. His amazing 61-year career (1951 - 2012) included appearances in well over 100 feature films and as a regular in three television series, as well as voice-overs in animated films such as All Dogs Go to Heaven 2 (1996), Small Soldiers (1998), and a continued role in the series SpongeBob SquarePants (1999). Between 1973 until his death, Ernest was married to Tova Traesnaes, who heads her own cosmetics company. They lived in Beverly Hills, California, where Ernest assisted his wife between film projects. When not acting, Ernest actively supported numerous charities and spoke tirelessly at benefits throughout the country. He has been awarded several honorary doctorates from colleges across the United States as well as numerous Lifetime Achievement Awards. In 1996, Ernest purchased a bus and traveled across the United States to see the country and meet his many fans. On December 17, 1999, he presented the University of North Alabama with a collection of scripts from his film and television career, due to his long friendship with North Alabama alumnus and actor George Lindsey (died May 6, 2012), who was an artist in residence at North Alabama.

Ernest Borgnine passed away aged 95 on July 8, 2012, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California, of renal failure. He is survived by his wife Tova, their children and his younger sister Evelyn (1926-2013)

Ernest Borgnine at an event for American Veteran Awards (2001)

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Ernest Borgnine

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