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Name: Ernest Borgnine
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Date of Birth:
January 24, 1917
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Place of Birth:
Hamden, Connecticut, USA
Mini-bio:
With a receding hairline, broad, jowly face, caterpillar eyebrows, bulgy eyes, and an incongruent but charming gap-toothed grin, versatile veteran actor Ernest Borgnine's resemblance to a pug dog pret... read morety much relegated him to character roles, but occasionally he was given the opportunity to play leads, and when he did, proved himself a powerful performer.Born Ermes Effron Borgnino in Hamden, CT, to Italian immigrants, he spent five years of his early childhood in Milan before returning to the States for his education. Following a long stint in the Navy that ended after WWII, Borgnine enrolled in the Randall School of Dramatic Art in Hartford. Between 1946 and 1950, he worked with a theater troupe in Virginia and afterward appeared a few times on television before his 1951 film debut in China Corsair. Borgnine's stout build coupled with his homely face led him to spend the next few years playing villains. In 1953, he won considerable acclaim for his memorable portrayal of a ruthless, cruel sergeant in From Here to Eternity. He was also praised for his performance in the Western Bad Day at Black Rock. Borgnine could easily have been forever typecast as the heavy, but in 1955, he proved his versatility and showed a sensitive side in the film version of Paddy Chayefsky's acclaimed television play Marty. Borgnine's moving portrayal of a weak-willed, lonely, middle-aged momma's boy attempting to find love in the face of a crushingly dull life earned him an Oscar, a British Academy award, a Cannes Festival award, and an award from both the New York Film Critics and the National Board of Review. After that, he seldom played bad guys and instead was primarily cast in "regular Joe" roles, with the notable exception of The Vikings in which he played the leader of the Viking warriors. In 1962, he was cast in the role that most baby boomers best remember him for, the anarchic, entrepreneurial Quentin McHale in the sitcom McHale's Navy. During the '60s and '70s, Borgnine's popularity was at its peak and he appeared in many films, including a theatrical version of his show in 1964, The Dirty Dozen (1966), Ice Station Zebra (1968) and The Wild Bunch (1969). Following the demise of McHale's Navy in 1965, Borgnine did not regularly appear in series television for several years. However, he did continue his busy film career and also performed in television miniseries and movies. Notable features include The Poseidon Adventure (1972) and Law and Disorder (1974). Some of his best television performances can be seen in Jesus of Nazareth (1977), Ghost on Flight 401 (1978), and a remake of Remarque's All Quiet on the Western Front (1979). In 1984, Borgnine returned to series television starring opposite Jan Michael Vincent in the action-adventure series Airwolf. The series ended in 1986; his career has continued to steam along though he generally plays much smaller roles. Between 1995 and 1997, he was a regular on the television sitcom The Single Guy. In 1997, he also made a cameo appearance in Tom Arnold's remake of Borgnine's hit series McHale's Navy.At age 80 he continued to work steadily in a variety of projects such as the comedy BASEketball, the sci-fi film Gattaca, and as the subject of the documentary Ernest Borgnine on the Bus. He maintained a career in mostly little-seen projects for the next ten years, but got the most buzz for an infamous talk-show appearance in 2008 where he revealed that the secret to his long-healthy life was self-gratification. In 2010 he landed a small part in the action comedy RED. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
Ernest Borgnine mini-bio: Ernest Borgnine was born Ermes Effron Borgnino on January 24, 1917, in Hamden, Connecticut. His parents were Charles and Anna Borgnine, who had emigrated from Carpi, Italy. As an only child, Ernest enjoyed most sports, especially boxing, but took no real interest in acting. At 18, after graduating from high school in New Haven, and undecided about his future career, he joined the 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 Sgt. "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 and early 1960s Borgnine performed memorably in such films as The Catered Affair (1956) and Emperor of the North Pole (1973). Between 1962 and 1966 he played Lt. Quinton McHale in the popular TV series "McHale's Navy" (1962). In early 1984 he returned to television as Dominic Santini in the action series "Airwolf" (1984), and in 1995 he was cast in the comedy "The Single Guy" (1995) as doorman Manny Cordoba. He also appeared in several made-for-TV movies. Ernest Borgnine has often stated that acting is his greatest passion, and he's still working today. His amazing 51-year career includes appearances in over 100 feature films and three television series, as well as voiceovers in animated films such as All Dogs Go to Heaven 2 (1996) and Small Soldiers (1998). He is married to Tova Traesnaes, who heads her own cosmetics company. They live in Beverly Hills, where Borgnine assists his wife between film projects. When not acting, he actively supports numerous charities and speaks tirelessly at benefits throughout the country. He has been awarded several honorary doctorates from colleges across the US as well as numerous Lifetime Achievement Awards. In 1996 he purchased a bus and traveled across the U.S. 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, as he is good friends with alumni and actor George Lindsey.
