Ernest Borgnine

American actor (1917–2012)

Fame61.7
Momentum0.8
United States rank#220

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Fame61.7
Momentum0.8
United States rank#220
Actors rank#172
Wikipedia98.7K

Lived 1917–2012, aged 95United States

United States ActorsActor

Wikipedia
76 languages
Cross-language footprint
Rank in United States
#220
Actors
Era
1917–2012
Aged 95
Known for
Gattaca
1997

Summary

Updated 2026-06-10

That gap-toothed grin and gruff warmth made him Hollywood's favorite unconventional lead — the schlubby Bronx butcher who won Best Actor, the PT boat commander who became a TV staple, and eventually the voice of a washed-up superhero on a kids' cartoon he played until he was 95.

Biography

About

Born Ermes Effron Borgnino in 1917, Borgnine started in supporting parts — China Corsair, From Here to Eternity, Vera Cruz — before the role of a lonely butcher in Marty turned him into an Oscar winner in 1955, taking Best Actor and Best Picture in one sweep. The gruff voice and Cheshire Cat smile carried him through six decades: he led McHale's Navy from 1962 to 1966, rode alongside William Holden in The Wild Bunch, then flew helicopters as Dominic Santini in Airwolf through the mid-eighties. At 82 he became the original Mermaid Man on SpongeBob SquarePants, a gig he kept until his death in 2…

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