Image of Ernest Borgnine

Ernest Borgnine

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.


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Born:
Jan 24, 1917 In Hamden, Connecticut, USA
Movie/TV Credits:
197
First Appeared:
In the series Chicken Soup for the Soul: Inspirational Stories Honoring Family
Latest Project:
Movie Rat Pack 2022-01-11
Known For
Poster of The Long Ride Home
Poster of The Double McGuffin
Poster of Bunny O'Hare
Poster of Black City
Filmography
Series Chicken Soup for the Soul: Inspirational Stories Honoring Family Unknown 2025
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 The Man Who Shook the Hand of Vicente Fernandez Rex Page 2012-04-27
Movie National Lampoon's Snatched Big Frank Baum 2011-01-01
Movie The Lion of Judah Slink (voice) 2011-06-03
Movie Night Club Albert 2011-04-11
Movie Love's Christmas Journey Nicholas 2011-11-05
Movie The Genesis Code Carl Taylor 2010-08-25
Movie Another Harvest Moon Frank 2010-10-06
Movie RED Henry, The Records Keeper 2010-10-13
Movie Oliviero Rising Bill 2009-02-10
Movie Square Roots: The Story of SpongeBob SquarePants 2009-07-14
Movie The Wishing Well Big Jim 2009-12-09
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 La cura del gorilla Jerry 2006-02-02
Movie Armed and Deadly: The Making of 'The Dirty Dozen' Self 2006-01-01
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 Sam Peckinpah's West: Legacy of a Hollywood Renegade Self (archive footage) 2004-07-25
Movie Renegade Rolling Star 2004-02-09
Movie The Trail to Hope Rose Eugene 2004-01-01
Movie Time Machine: When Cowboys Were King Self 2003-01-01
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 Hoover J. Edgar Hoover 2000-12-25
Movie The Kiss Of Debt Godfather Mariano 2000-01-01
Movie Castle Rock Nate 2000-01-01
Series The District Unknown 2000-10-07
Movie The Last Great Ride Franklin Lyle 1999-01-01
Series Family Law Unknown 1999-09-20
Movie The Lost Treasure of Sawtooth Island Ben Quinn 1999-12-01
Movie Small Soldiers Kip Killagin (voice) 1998-07-10
Movie BASEketball Ted Denslow 1998-07-28
Movie An All Dogs Christmas Carol Carface (voice) 1998-11-17
Movie Everyone Loves Mel Grandpa 1998-10-10
Movie Ernest Borgnine on the Bus Self 1997-04-01
Movie Gattaca Caesar 1997-09-07
Movie McHale's Navy Admiral Quinton McHale Sr. 1997-04-18
Movie Big Guns Talk: The Story of the Western Self 1997-07-27
Movie All Dogs Go to Heaven 2 Carface (voice) 1996-03-29
Series 7th Heaven Unknown 1996-08-26
Series Early Edition Unknown 1996-09-28
Movie The Wild Bunch: An Album in Montage Self 1996-11-01
Movie Merlin's Shop of Mystical Wonders 1996-08-27
Series All Dogs Go To Heaven: The Series Carface Caruthers (voice) 1996-09-21
Movie Captiva Island Arty 1995-01-01
Series Pinky and the Brain Unknown 1995-09-09
Movie Outlaws: The Legend of O.B. Taggart Sheriff Laughton 1995-02-17
Series The Single Guy Manny Cordoba 1995-09-21
Movie Tierärztin Christine II: Die Versuchung Dr. Gustav Gruber 1995-10-12
Series JAG Unknown 1995-09-23
Movie Der blaue Diamant Hans Kroger 1993-01-01
Movie Tierärztin Christine Dr. Gustav Gruber 1993-11-21
Movie La Classe américaine Ernest (archive footage) 1993-12-31
Series Walker, Texas Ranger Unknown 1993-04-21
Movie Mistress Himself 1992-07-24
Series MGM: When the Lion Roars 1992-03-22
Series The Commish Unknown 1991-09-28
Movie Mountain of Diamonds Ernie 1991-01-01
Series Home Improvement Unknown 1991-09-17
Movie The Last Match Coach 1990-02-01
Movie Real Men Don't Eat Gummi Bears Bischof 1989-08-17
Movie Laser Mission Prof. Braun 1989-11-01
Series Oceano Pedro El Triste 1989-08-20
Movie Hoodwinked Sal Piccolo 1989-11-15
Movie The Big Turnaround Father Lopez 1988-01-01
Movie Moving Target Captain Morrison 1988-01-01
Movie The Dirty Dozen: The Fatal Mission Gen. Sam Worden 1988-11-10
Movie Skeleton Coast Colonel Smith 1988-04-14
Movie Spike of Bensonhurst Baldo Cacetti 1988-11-11
Movie The Opponent Victor 1988-07-08
Movie The Dirty Dozen: The Deadly Mission Gen. Sam Worden 1987-03-01
Series Treasure Island in Outer Space Billy Bones 1987-11-19
Series Jake and the Fatman Unknown 1987-09-26
Movie The Spencer Tracy Legacy: A Tribute by Katharine Hepburn Self (archive footage) 1986-03-09
Movie The Dirty Dozen: Next Mission Gen. Worden 1985-02-04
Series Alice in Wonderland 1985-12-09
Series The Last Days of Pompeii Marcus 1984-05-06
Series Airwolf Dominic « Dom » Santini 1984-01-22
Movie Airwolf: The Movie Dominic Santini 1984-06-26
Movie Code Name: Wild Geese Frank Fletcher 1984-10-05
Movie The Manhunt Ben Robeson 1984-12-09
Series Highway to Heaven Unknown 1984-09-19
Movie Love Leads the Way: A True Story Sen. Brighton 1984-10-07
Series Murder, She Wrote Unknown 1984-09-30
Movie James Bond: The First 21 Years Self 1983-05-27
Series Masquerade Jerry 1983-12-15
Movie Carpool Mickey Doyle 1983-10-05
Movie Young Warriors Lt. Bob Carrigan 1983-08-28
Series Matt Houston Unknown 1982-09-26
Movie Deadly Blessing Isaiah 1981-08-14
Movie Escape from New York Cabbie 1981-05-23
Movie High Risk Clint 1981-05-01
Movie When Time Ran Out... Det. Sgt. Tom Conti 1980-03-28
Movie Super Fuzz Willy Dunlop 1980-09-18
Series Magnum, P.I. Unknown 1980-12-11
Movie The Horror Show (archive footage) 1979-02-06
Movie Ravagers Rann 1979-05-01
Movie The Black Hole Harry Booth 1979-12-18
Movie The Double McGuffin Firat 1979-06-01
Movie All Quiet on the Western Front Stanislaus Katczinsky 1979-11-14
Movie The Ghost of Flight 401 Dom Cimoli 1978-02-18
Movie Cops and Robin Joe Cleaver 1978-03-28
Movie Convoy Lyle Wallace 1978-06-27
Movie The Prince and the Pauper John Canty 1977-06-03
Series Jesus of Nazareth The Centurion 1977-03-27
Series Future Cop Joe Cleaver 1977-03-05
Movie The Greatest Angelo Dundee 1977-05-17
Movie Fire! Sam Brisbane 1977-05-08
Movie Holiday Hookers Max 1976-01-01
Movie Shoot Lou 1976-05-28
Movie The Devil's Rain Jonathan Corbis 1975-07-01
Movie Hustle Santuro 1975-12-25
Series Little House on the Prairie Unknown 1974-09-11
Movie Law and Disorder Cy 1974-10-09
Movie Sunday in the Country Adam Smith 1974-11-22
Movie Emperor of the North Shack 1973-05-23
Movie The Neptune Factor Chief Diver Don MacKay 1973-08-03
Series The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts Unknown 1973-09-14
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 Rain for a Dusty Summer The General 1971-09-22
Movie Who Killed the Mysterious Mr. Foster? Deputy Sam Hill 1971-02-01
Movie Bunny O'Hare Bill Green - Gruenwald 1971-10-18
Movie The Trackers Sam Paxton 1971-12-15
Movie Hannie Caulder Emmett Clemens 1971-11-08
Movie Suppose They Gave a War and Nobody Came? Sheriff Harve 1970-09-11
Movie The Adventurers Fat Cat 1970-03-25
Movie A Bullet for Sandoval Don Pedro Sandoval 1969-08-19
Movie The Wild Bunch Dutch Engstrom 1969-06-19
Movie The Legend of Lylah Clare Barney Sheean 1968-08-21
Movie Ice Station Zebra Boris Vaslov 1968-10-23
Movie The Split Bert Clinger 1968-11-04
Movie The Dirty Dozen Maj. Gen. Worden 1967-06-15
Series Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In Unknown 1967-09-09
Movie Chuka Sgt. Otto Hahnsbach 1967-07-23
Movie The Oscar Barney Yale 1966-03-04
Series Run for Your Life Unknown 1965-09-13
Series Get Smart Unknown 1965-09-18
Movie The Flight of the Phoenix Trucker Cobb 1965-12-15
Series The Dean Martin Show Unknown 1965-09-16
Movie McHale's Navy Quinton McHale 1964-06-25
Series The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson Unknown 1962-10-01
Series McHale's Navy Quinton McHale 1962-10-11
Movie Go Naked in the World Pete Stratton 1961-03-10
Movie Black City Peppino Navarra 1961-09-16
Movie The Last Judgment Pickpocket 1961-10-26
Movie Barabbas Lucius 1961-12-23
Movie Seduction Of The South Sante Carbone 1961-12-16
Movie Man on a String Boris Mitrov 1960-05-20
Movie Pay or Die! Police Lt. Joseph Petrosino 1960-07-27
Movie The Rabbit Trap Eddie Colt 1959-06-01
Series Laramie Unknown 1959-09-15
Movie Summer of the Seventeenth Doll Roo 1959-12-01
Movie Torpedo Run Lt. Archer 'Archie' Sloan 1958-10-24
Movie The Vikings Ragnar 1958-06-11
Movie The Badlanders John McBain 1958-09-03
Movie Jubal Shep Horgan 1956-04-06
Movie The Catered Affair Tom Hurley 1956-06-14
Movie The Best Things in Life Are Free Lew Brown 1956-09-28
Movie Three Brave Men Bernard F. Goldsmith 1956-12-01
Series Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre Unknown 1956-10-05
Movie Bad Day at Black Rock Coley Trimble 1955-01-13
Movie Violent Saturday Stadt, Amish Farmer 1955-04-01
Movie The Last Command Mike Radin 1955-08-03
Movie The Square Jungle Bernie Browne 1955-12-30
Movie Marty Marty Piletti 1955-04-11
Movie Run for Cover Morgan 1955-04-29
Series The Lone Wolf Unknown 1954-01-01
Movie Johnny Guitar Bart Lonergan 1954-05-26
Movie Demetrius and the Gladiators Strabo 1954-06-16
Movie Vera Cruz Donnegan 1954-12-25
Movie The Bounty Hunter Bill Rachin 1954-09-25
Series The Oscars Unknown 1953-03-19
Series General Electric Theater Unknown 1953-02-01
Movie The Stranger Wore a Gun Bull Slager 1953-07-30
Movie From Here to Eternity Sgt. James R. 'Fatso' Judson 1953-08-28
Series This Is Your Life Unknown 1952-10-01
Movie China Corsair Hu Chang 1951-06-12
Movie The Whistle at Eaton Falls Bill Street 1951-08-02
Series Hallmark Hall of Fame Unknown 1951-12-24
Movie The Mob Joe Castro 1951-09-07
Series Schlitz Playhouse of Stars Unknown 1951-10-05
Series The Ed Sullivan Show Unknown 1948-06-20
Series Ford Theatre Unknown 1948-10-17
Series The Philco Television Playhouse Unknown 1948-10-03