Ernest Borgnine was an American actor whose career spanned over six decades.
61 Facts About Ernest Borgnine
2.
Ernest Borgnine was noted for his gruff but relaxed voice and gap-toothed Cheshire Cat grin.
3.
Ernest Borgnine played the unconventional lead in many films, winning the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1956, for Marty, which won the 1956 Academy Award for Best Picture.
4.
Ernest Borgnine achieved continuing success in the sitcom McHale's Navy, in which he played the title character, and co-starred as Dominic Santini in the action series Airwolf, in addition to a wide variety of other roles.
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Ernest Borgnine earned his third Primetime Emmy Award nomination at age 92 for his work on the 2009 series finale of ER.
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Ernest Borgnine was known as the original voice of Mermaid Man on SpongeBob SquarePants from 1999 until his death in 2012.
7.
Ernest Borgnine replaced the late Vic Tayback as the voice of the villainous Carface Caruthers in both All Dogs Go to Heaven 2 and All Dogs Go to Heaven: The Series.
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Ernest Borgnine was born Ermes Effron Borgnino on January 24,1917, in Hamden, Connecticut, the son of Italian immigrants.
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Ernest Borgnine's parents separated when he was two years old, and he then lived with his mother in Italy for about four and a half years.
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The family settled in New Haven, Connecticut, where Ernest Borgnine graduated from James Hillhouse High School.
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Ernest Borgnine took to sports while growing up, but showed no interest in acting.
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Ernest Borgnine joined the United States Navy in October 1935, after graduation from high school.
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Ernest Borgnine served a total of almost 10 years in the Navy and obtained the grade of gunner's mate first class.
14.
In 1997, Ernest Borgnine received the United States Navy Memorial, Lone Sailor Award.
15.
On December 7,2000, Ernest Borgnine was named the Veterans Foundation's Veteran of the Year.
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In October 2004, Borgnine received the honorary title of chief petty officer from Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy Terry D Scott.
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Ernest Borgnine received the special honor for his naval service and support of naval personnel and their families worldwide.
18.
Ernest Borgnine returned to his parents' house in Connecticut after his Navy discharge without a job to go back to and no direction.
19.
Ernest Borgnine took a local factory job, but was unwilling to settle down to that kind of work.
20.
Ernest Borgnine's mother encouraged him to pursue a more glamorous profession, and suggested to him that his personality would be well suited for the stage.
21.
Ernest Borgnine studied acting at the Randall School of Drama in Hartford, then moved to Virginia, where he became a member of the Barter Theatre in Abingdon, Virginia.
22.
In 1947, Ernest Borgnine landed his first stage role in State of the Union.
23.
In 1949, Ernest Borgnine went to New York, where he had his Broadway debut in the role of a nurse in the play Harvey.
24.
An appearance as the villain on TV's Captain Video led to Ernest Borgnine's casting in the motion picture The Whistle at Eaton Falls for Columbia Pictures.
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That year, Ernest Borgnine moved to Los Angeles, California, where he eventually received his big break in Columbia's From Here to Eternity, playing the sadistic Sergeant "Fatso" Judson, who beats a stockade prisoner in his charge, Angelo Maggio.
26.
Ernest Borgnine built a reputation as a dependable character actor, and played villains in early films, including movies such as Johnny Guitar, Vera Cruz, and Bad Day at Black Rock.
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Ernest Borgnine won the Academy Award for Best Actor over Frank Sinatra, James Dean, and former Best Actor winners Spencer Tracy and James Cagney.
28.
Ernest Borgnine made his TV debut as a character actor in Captain Video and His Video Rangers, beginning in 1951.
29.
In 1962, Ernest Borgnine signed a contract with Universal Studios for the lead role as the gruff but lovable skipper, Quinton McHale, in what began as a serious one-hour 1962 episode called "Seven Against the Sea" for Alcoa Premiere, and later reworked to a comedy called McHale's Navy, a World War II sitcom, which co-starred unfamiliar comedians Joe Flynn as Capt.
30.
Ernest Borgnine thrived on the adulation from fans for their favorite navy man, and in 1963 received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series.
31.
At the time McHale's Navy began production, Ernest Borgnine was married to actress Katy Jurado.
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Ernest Borgnine returned to Universal Studios in 1983, for a co-starring role opposite Jan-Michael Vincent, on Airwolf.
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Ernest Borgnine played Dominic Santini, a helicopter pilot, in the series, which became an immediate hit.
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Ernest Borgnine appeared with Jonathan Silverman in The Single Guy as doorman Manny Cordoba, which lasted two seasons.
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Ernest Borgnine was the first person to arrive on the set every day and the last to leave.
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In 1989, Ernest Borgnine went to Namibia to shoot the film Laser Mission, starring Brandon Lee.
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Also in 1996, Ernest Borgnine toured the United States on a bus to meet his fans and see the country.
38.
Ernest Borgnine served one year as the chairman of the National Salute to Hospitalized Veterans, visiting patients in many Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers.
39.
In 1997, Ernest Borgnine appeared in the big-screen adaptation comedy film McHale's Navy, where he played Rear Admiral Quinton McHale, who was the father of Tom Arnold's character, Quinton McHale, Jr.
40.
In 1998, Ernest Borgnine appeared in the Trey Parker and Matt Stone comedy BASEketball as entrepreneur Ted Denslow.
41.
Ernest Borgnine expressed affection for this role, in no small part for its popularity among children.
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Ernest Borgnine appeared as himself in The Simpsons episode "Boy-Scoutz 'n the Hood", in addition to a number of television commercials.
43.
In 2007, Ernest Borgnine starred in the Hallmark original film A Grandpa for Christmas.
44.
Ernest Borgnine played a man who, after his estranged daughter ends up in the hospital because of a car accident, discovers that he has a granddaughter he never knew about.
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Ernest Borgnine is taken into his care, and they soon become great friends.
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Ernest Borgnine received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a Miniseries or Motion Picture made for Television for his performance.
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Ernest Borgnine's role was that of a husband dealing with the decline of his wife, who would die in the final episode of the series.
48.
Ernest Borgnine's performance garnered an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series, his third nomination and his first in 29 years.
49.
On October 2,2010, Ernest Borgnine appeared as himself in a sketch with Morgan Freeman on Saturday Night Live.
50.
In late 2011, Ernest Borgnine completed what was his last film, playing Rex Page in The Man Who Shook the Hand of Vicente Fernandez.
51.
Ernest Borgnine was then married to actress Katy Jurado from 1959 to 1963.
52.
In 2000, Ernest Borgnine received his 50-year pin as a Freemason at Abingdon Lodge No 48 in Abingdon, Virginia.
53.
Ernest Borgnine died of kidney failure on July 8,2012, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles and was cremated.
54.
From 1972 to 2002, Ernest Borgnine marched in Milwaukee's annual Great Circus Parade as the "Grand Clown".
55.
In 1994, Ernest Borgnine received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor from the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations.
56.
In 1997, Ernest Borgnine was the commencement speaker at Lakeland College, and received an honorary doctorate in humane letters in recognition of his distinguished acting career.
57.
Ernest Borgnine won the 1955 Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Marty Piletti in the film Marty.
58.
Ernest Borgnine was honored with the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award at the 17th Screen Actors Guild Awards, held January 30,2011.
59.
In 2000, Ernest Borgnine received his 50-year pin as a Freemason in Abingdon Lodge No 48, Abingdon, Virginia.
60.
Ernest Borgnine was a member of the Loyal Order of Moose at that organization's Lodge in Junction City, Oregon.
61.
Ernest Borgnine volunteered to be Stories of Service National spokesman, urging his fellow World War II vets to come forward and share their stories.