Ernest Borgnine

 Ernest Borgnine was an American actor whose career spanned over six decades. He was noted for his gruff but relaxed voice and gap-toothed Cheshire Cat grin. A popular performer, he also appeared as a guest on numerous talk shows and as a panelist on several game shows.

Borgnine's film career began in 1951 and included supporting roles in China Corsair (1951), From Here to Eternity (1953), Vera Cruz (1954), Bad Day at Black Rock (1955), and The Wild Bunch (1969). He also played the unconventional lead in many films, winning the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in Marty (1955), which won the Academy Award for Best Picture. Borgnine starred as the title character in the sitcom McHale's Navy (1962–1966) and co-starred as Dominic Santini in the action series Airwolf (1984–1986).
Borgnine earned his third Primetime Emmy Award nomination at age 92 for his work on the 2009 series finale of ER. He was known as the original voice of Mermaid Man on SpongeBob SquarePants from 1999 until his death in 2012.
Borgnine was born Ermes Effron Borgnino in Hamden, Connecticut, the son of Italian immigrants. His mother, Anna, hailed from Carpi, near Modena, while his father, Camillo Borgnino, was a native of Ottiglio near Alessandria. 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. By 1923, his parents had reconciled, the family name was changed from Borgnino to Borgnine, and his father changed his first name to Charles. Borgnine had a younger sister, Evelyn. The family settled in New Haven, Connecticut, where Borgnine graduated from James Hillhouse High School. He took to sports while growing up, but showed no interest in acting.
After high school, Borgnine joined the United States Navy in October 1935. He served aboard the destroyer/minesweeper USS Lamberton and was honorably discharged from the Navy in October 1941. In January 1942, he reenlisted in the Navy after the attack on Pearl Harbor. During World War II, he patrolled the Atlantic Coast on an antisubmarine warfare ship, the patrol yacht USS Sylph. In September 1945, he was once again honorably discharged from the Navy. He served a total of almost 10 years in the Navy and obtained the grade of gunner's mate first class. His military awards include the Navy Good Conduct Medal, American Defense Service Medal with "A" Device, American Campaign Medal with 3⁄16" bronze star, and the World War II Victory Medal.
Borgnine returned to his parents' house in Connecticut after his Navy discharge without a job to go back to and no direction. After a few weeks of encouragement from his mother to pursue acting, Borgnine decided to give it a try. He 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. In 1947, Borgnine landed his first stage role in State of the Union. His next role was as the Gentleman Caller in Tennessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie.
In 1949, Borgnine went to New York, where he had his Broadway debut in the role of a nurse in the play Harvey. Borgnine made his TV debut as a character actor in Captain Video and His Video Rangers, beginning in 1951. These two episodes led to countless other television roles. An appearance as the villain on TV's Captain Video led to Borgnine's casting in the motion picture The Whistle at Eaton Falls (1951) for Columbia Pictures.
Borgnine moved to Los Angeles, California, where he eventually received his big break in the romantic war drama From Here to Eternity (1953), playing the sadistic Sergeant "Fatso" Judson. The film received critical acclaim, including the Academy Award for Best Picture. The following year he acted in four films, three of them Western dramas. Borgnine built a reputation as a dependable character actor and played villains in early films.
In 1962, Borgnine signed a contract with Universal Studios for the lead role as the gruff but lovable skipper, Quinton McHale, in McHale's Navy. The show became an overnight success during its first season. He 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.
Borgnine's film career flourished for the next three decades, including roles in The Flight of the Phoenix (1965), The Dirty Dozen (1967), Ice Station Zebra (1968), Willard (1971), The Poseidon Adventure (1972), Emperor of the North (1973), Convoy (1978), The Black Hole (1979), Super Fuzz (1980), and Escape from New York (1981). One of his most famous roles was that of Dutch in the Western classic The Wild Bunch (1969).
Borgnine returned to Universal Studios in 1983, for a co-starring role opposite Jan-Michael Vincent, on Airwolf. After he was approached by producer Donald P. Bellisario, who had been impressed by Borgnine's guest role as a wrestler in a 1982 episode of Magnum, P.I., he immediately agreed to join the series. He played Dominic Santini, a helicopter pilot, which became an immediate hit.
In his later years, Borgnine continued to work in television and film. He appeared in the big-screen adaptation comedy film McHale's Navy (1997), the Trey Parker and Matt Stone comedy BASEketball (1998), and voiced the character of Mermaid Man in the animated sitcom SpongeBob SquarePants from 1999 until his death in 2012.
Borgnine married five times and had several children. His personal life was marked by both successes and challenges, but his professional legacy remains enduring. Ernest Borgnine's contributions to film and television have left an indelible mark on the entertainment industry, earning him a well-deserved place among Hollywood's most memorable and beloved actors.