Ernest Borgnine was born Ermes Effron Borgnino on January 24, 1917 in Hamden, Connecticut. His parents were Charles who had emigrated from Ottiglio (AL), Italy and Anna who had emigrated from Carpi (MO), 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 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.
Movie | Rat Pack | Self (archive footage) | 2022-01-11 |
Movie | Naples '44 | Self | 2016-12-15 |
Movie | Ingrid Bergman: In Her Own Words | Self (archive footage) | 2015-08-27 |
Movie | Passion & Poetry: Sam's Trucker Movie | Self | 2013-10-03 |
Movie | The Man Who Shook the Hand of Vicente Fernandez | Rex Page | 2012-04-27 |
Movie | Love's Christmas Journey | Nicholas | 2011-11-05 |
Movie | The Lion of Judah | Slink (voice) | 2011-06-03 |
Movie | Night Club | Albert | 2011-04-11 |
Movie | National Lampoon's Snatched | Big Frank Baum | 2011-01-01 |
Movie | RED | Henry, The Records Keeper | 2010-10-13 |
Movie | Another Harvest Moon | Frank | 2010-10-06 |
Movie | The Genesis Code | Carl Taylor | 2010-08-25 |
Movie | The Wishing Well | Big Jim | 2009-12-09 |
Movie | Square Roots: The Story of SpongeBob SquarePants | 2009-07-14 | |
Movie | Oliviero Rising | Bill | 2009-02-10 |
Movie | Strange Wilderness | Milas | 2008-02-01 |
Movie | Red and White: Gone with the West | Himself / Narrator | 2008-02-01 |
Movie | Aces 'N' Eights | Thurmond Prescott | 2008-03-15 |
Movie | Frozen Stupid | Frank Norgard | 2008-08-01 |
Movie | Railroad to Hell: A Chinaman's Chance | Judge Holliday | 2008-05-14 |
Movie | A Grandpa for Christmas | Bert O'Riley | 2007-11-24 |
Movie | Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project | Self | 2007-10-13 |
Movie | Armed and Deadly: The Making of 'The Dirty Dozen' | Self | 2006-01-01 |
Movie | La cura del gorilla | Jerry | 2006-02-02 |
Movie | 3 Below | Grandpa | 2005-01-10 |
Movie | Passion & Poetry: The Ballad of Sam Peckinpah | Self | 2005-01-01 |
Movie | Barn Red | Michael Bolini | 2004-01-01 |
Movie | The Trail to Hope Rose | Eugene | 2004-01-01 |
Movie | Renegade | Rolling Star | 2004-02-09 |
Movie | Sam Peckinpah's West: Legacy of a Hollywood Renegade | Self (archive footage) | 2004-07-25 |
Movie | Spongebob SquarePants: Deep Sea Sillies | Mermaid Man | 2003-01-28 |
Movie | The Long Ride Home | Lucas Moat | 2003-03-27 |
Movie | 11'09''01 September 11 | Old Man (segment "USA") | 2002-09-04 |
Movie | Sir John Mills' Moving Memories | Self (archive footage) | 2000-08-01 |
Movie | Frank Sinatra Memorial | Self | 2000-05-16 |
Movie | Castle Rock | Nate | 2000-01-01 |
Movie | The Kiss Of Debt | Godfather Mariano | 2000-01-01 |
Movie | The Last Great Ride | Franklin Lyle | 1999-01-01 |
Movie | BASEketball | Ted Denslow | 1998-07-28 |
Movie | Small Soldiers | Kip Killagin (voice) | 1998-07-10 |
Movie | Everyone Loves Mel | Grandpa | 1998-10-10 |
Movie | An All Dogs Christmas Carol | Carface (voice) | 1998-11-17 |
Movie | McHale's Navy | Admiral Quinton McHale Sr. | 1997-04-18 |
Movie | Gattaca | Caesar | 1997-09-07 |
Movie | The Wild Bunch: An Album in Montage | Self | 1996-11-01 |
Series | All Dogs Go To Heaven: The Series | Carface Caruthers (voice) | 1996-09-21 |
Movie | Merlin's Shop of Mystical Wonders | 1996-08-27 | |
Movie | All Dogs Go to Heaven 2 | Carface (voice) | 1996-03-29 |
Movie | Outlaws: The Legend of O.B. Taggart | Sheriff Laughton | 1995-02-17 |
Movie | Captiva Island | Arty | 1995-01-01 |
Series | The Single Guy | Manny Cordoba | 1995-09-21 |
Movie | Tierärztin Christine II: Die Versuchung | Dr. Gustav Gruber | 1995-10-12 |
Movie | Tierärztin Christine | Dr. Gustav Gruber | 1993-11-21 |
Movie | Der blaue Diamant | Hans Kroger | 1993-01-01 |
Movie | La Classe américaine | Ernest (archive footage) | 1993-12-31 |
Movie | Mistress | Himself | 1992-07-24 |
Series | MGM: When the Lion Roars | 1992-03-22 | |
Movie | Mountain of Diamonds | Ernie | 1991-01-01 |
Movie | Any Man's Death | Herr Gantz | 1990-05-10 |
Movie | The Last Match | Coach | 1990-02-01 |
Movie | Tides of War | Doctor | 1990-01-01 |
Movie | Real Men Don't Eat Gummi Bears | Bischof | 1989-08-17 |
Movie | Hoodwinked | Sal Piccolo | 1989-11-15 |
Series | Oceano | Pedro El Triste | 1989-08-20 |
Movie | Laser Mission | Prof. Braun | 1989-11-01 |
Movie | Spike of Bensonhurst | Baldo Cacetti | 1988-11-11 |
Movie | The Dirty Dozen: The Fatal Mission | Gen. Sam Worden | 1988-11-10 |
Movie | The Opponent | Victor | 1988-07-08 |
Movie | Skeleton Coast | Colonel Smith | 1988-04-14 |
Movie | Moving Target | Captain Morrison | 1988-01-01 |
Movie | The Big Turnaround | Father Lopez | 1988-01-01 |
Movie | The Dirty Dozen: The Deadly Mission | Gen. Sam Worden | 1987-03-01 |
Series | Treasure Island in Outer Space | Billy Bones | 1987-11-19 |
Movie | The Spencer Tracy Legacy: A Tribute by Katharine Hepburn | Self (archive footage) | 1986-03-09 |
Series | Alice in Wonderland | 1985-12-09 | |
Movie | The Dirty Dozen: Next Mission | Gen. Worden | 1985-02-04 |
Movie | The Manhunt | Ben Robeson | 1984-12-09 |
Movie | Love Leads the Way: A True Story | Sen. Brighton | 1984-10-07 |
Movie | Code Name: Wild Geese | Frank Fletcher | 1984-10-05 |
Movie | Airwolf: The Movie | Dominic Santini | 1984-06-26 |
Series | The Last Days of Pompeii | Marcus | 1984-05-06 |
Series | Airwolf | Dominic « Dom » Santini | 1984-01-22 |
Movie | Carpool | Mickey Doyle | 1983-10-05 |
Movie | Young Warriors | Lt. Bob Carrigan | 1983-08-28 |
Movie | Deadly Blessing | Isaiah | 1981-08-14 |
Movie | Escape from New York | Cabbie | 1981-05-23 |
Movie | High Risk | Clint | 1981-05-01 |
Movie | Super Fuzz | Willy Dunlop | 1980-09-18 |
Movie | When Time Ran Out... | Det. Sgt. Tom Conti | 1980-03-28 |
Movie | The Horror Show | (archive footage) | 1979-02-06 |
Movie | The Double McGuffin | Firat | 1979-06-01 |
Movie | Ravagers | Rann | 1979-06-26 |
Movie | All Quiet on the Western Front | Stanislaus Katczinsky | 1979-11-14 |
Movie | The Black Hole | Harry Booth | 1979-12-18 |
Movie | Convoy | Lyle Wallace | 1978-06-27 |
Movie | Cops and Robin | Joe Cleaver | 1978-03-28 |
Movie | The Ghost of Flight 401 | Dom Cimoli | 1978-02-18 |
Movie | The Prince and the Pauper | John Canty | 1977-06-03 |
Movie | The Greatest | Angelo Dundee | 1977-05-17 |
Movie | Fire! | Sam Brisbane | 1977-05-08 |
Series | Jesus of Nazareth | The Centurion | 1977-03-27 |
Movie | Holiday Hookers | Max | 1976-01-01 |
Movie | Future Cop | Officer Joe Cleaver | 1976-05-01 |
Movie | Shoot | Lou | 1976-05-28 |
Movie | Hustle | Santuro | 1975-12-25 |
Movie | The Devil's Rain | Jonathan Corbis | 1975-07-01 |
Movie | Sunday in the Country | Adam Smith | 1974-11-22 |
Movie | Law and Disorder | Cy | 1974-10-09 |
Movie | Legend in Granite | Vince Lombardi | 1973-12-14 |
Movie | The Neptune Factor | Chief Diver Don MacKay | 1973-08-03 |
Movie | Emperor of the North | Shack | 1973-05-23 |
Movie | The Boxer | Captain Perkins | 1972-02-02 |
Movie | The Revengers | Hoop | 1972-06-21 |
Movie | The Poseidon Adventure | Mike Rogo | 1972-12-13 |
Movie | The Trackers | Sam Paxton | 1971-12-15 |
Movie | Hannie Caulder | Emmett Clemens | 1971-11-08 |
Movie | Bunny O'Hare | Bill Green - Gruenwald | 1971-10-18 |
Movie | Rain for a Dusty Summer | The General | 1971-09-22 |
Movie | Willard | Al Martin | 1971-07-30 |
Movie | Who Killed the Mysterious Mr. Foster? | Deputy Sam Hill | 1971-02-01 |
Movie | Suppose They Gave a War and Nobody Came? | Sheriff Harve | 1970-09-11 |
Movie | The Adventurers | Fat Cat | 1970-03-25 |
Movie | The Wild Bunch | Dutch Engstrom | 1969-06-19 |
Movie | A Bullet for Sandoval | Don Pedro Sandoval | 1969-08-19 |
Movie | Ice Station Zebra | Boris Vaslov | 1968-10-23 |
Movie | The Legend of Lylah Clare | Barney Sheean | 1968-08-21 |
Movie | The Split | Bert Clinger | 1968-11-04 |
Movie | Chuka | Sgt. Otto Hahnsbach | 1967-07-23 |
Movie | The Dirty Dozen | Maj. Gen. Worden | 1967-06-15 |
Movie | The Oscar | Barney Yale | 1966-03-04 |
Movie | The Flight of the Phoenix | Trucker Cobb | 1965-12-15 |
Movie | McHale's Navy | Quinton McHale | 1964-06-25 |
Series | McHale's Navy | Quinton McHale | 1962-10-11 |
Movie | Black City | Peppino Navarra | 1961-09-16 |
Movie | Go Naked in the World | Pete Stratton | 1961-03-10 |
Movie | Barabbas | Lucius | 1961-12-23 |
Movie | The Last Judgment | Pickpocket | 1961-10-26 |
Movie | Seduction Of The South | Sante Carbone | 1961-12-16 |
Movie | Pay or Die! | Police Lt. Joseph Petrosino | 1960-07-27 |
Movie | Man on a String | Boris Mitrov | 1960-05-20 |
Movie | Summer of the Seventeenth Doll | Roo | 1959-12-01 |
Movie | The Rabbit Trap | Eddie Colt | 1959-06-01 |
Movie | The Vikings | Ragnar | 1958-06-11 |
Movie | The Badlanders | John McBain | 1958-09-03 |
Movie | Torpedo Run | Lt. Archer 'Archie' Sloan | 1958-10-24 |
Movie | The Best Things in Life Are Free | Lew Brown | 1956-09-28 |
Movie | The Catered Affair | Tom Hurley | 1956-06-14 |
Movie | Jubal | Shep Horgan | 1956-04-06 |
Movie | Three Brave Men | Bernard F. Goldsmith | 1956-12-01 |
Movie | Marty | Marty Piletti | 1955-04-11 |
Movie | Violent Saturday | Stadt, Amish Farmer | 1955-04-01 |
Movie | Bad Day at Black Rock | Coley Trimble | 1955-01-13 |
Movie | Run for Cover | Morgan | 1955-04-29 |
Movie | The Last Command | Mike Radin | 1955-08-03 |
Movie | The Square Jungle | Bernie Browne | 1955-12-30 |
Movie | Vera Cruz | Donnegan | 1954-12-25 |
Movie | The Bounty Hunter | Bill Rachin | 1954-09-25 |
Movie | Demetrius and the Gladiators | Strabo | 1954-06-16 |
Movie | Johnny Guitar | Bart Lonergan | 1954-05-26 |
Movie | From Here to Eternity | Sgt. James R. 'Fatso' Judson | 1953-08-28 |
Movie | The Stranger Wore a Gun | Bull Slager | 1953-07-30 |
Movie | The Mob | Joe Castro | 1951-09-07 |
Movie | The Whistle at Eaton Falls | Bill Street | 1951-08-02 |
Movie | China Corsair | Hu Chang | 1951-06-12 |