Ernest Borgnine
Birthday:
24 January 1917, Hamden, Connecticut, USA
Birth Name:
Ermes Effron Borgnino
Height:
177 cm
Ernest Borgnine was born Ermes Effron Borgnino on January 24, 1917 in Hamden, Connecticut. His parents were Anna (Boselli), who had emigrated from Carpi (MO), Italy, and Camillo Borgnino, who had emigrated from Ottiglio (AL), Italy. As an only child, Ernest enjoyed most sports, especially boxing, but took no real interest in acting. At age 18, afte...
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Ernest Borgnine was born Ermes Effron Borgnino on January 24, 1917 in Hamden, Connecticut. His parents were Anna (Boselli), who had emigrated from Carpi (MO), Italy, and Camillo Borgnino, who had emigrated from Ottiglio (AL), 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 Pole (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 has often stated that acting is his greatest passion, and he is still working today. His amazing 61-year career (1951 - 2012 and continuing) includes appearances in well over 100 feature films and as a regular in three television series, as well as voiceovers in animated films such as All Dogs Go to Heaven 2 (1996), Small Soldiers (1998), and a continued role in the series SpongeBob SquarePants (1999). Between 1973 until his death, Ernest was married to Tova Traesnaes, who heads her own cosmetics company. They lived in Beverly Hills, California, where Ernest assisted his wife between film projects. When not acting, Ernest actively supported numerous charities and spoke tirelessly at benefits throughout the country. He has been awarded several honorary doctorates from colleges across the United States as well as numerous Lifetime Achievement Awards. In 1996, Ernest purchased a bus and traveled across the United States 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, due to his long friendship with North Alabama alumnus and actor George Lindsey (died May 6, 2012), who was an artist in residence at North Alabama.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 (1926-2013) Show less «
Spencer Tracy was the first actor I've seen who could just look down into the dirt and command a scene. He played a set-up with Robert Ryan ...Show more »
Spencer Tracy was the first actor I've seen who could just look down into the dirt and command a scene. He played a set-up with Robert Ryan that way [in Bad Day at Black Rock (1955)]. He's looking down at the road and then he looks at Ryan at just the precise, right minute. I tell you, Rob could've stood on his head and zipped open his fly and the scene would've still been Mr. Tracy's. Show less «
The trick is not to become somebody else. You become somebody else when you're in front of a camera or when you're on stage. There are some ...Show more »
The trick is not to become somebody else. You become somebody else when you're in front of a camera or when you're on stage. There are some people who carry it all the time. That, to me, is not acting. What you've gotta do is find out what the writer wrote about and put it into your mind. This is acting. Not going out and researching what the writer has already written. This is crazy! Show less «
Everything I do has a moral to it. Yes, I've been in films that have had shootings. I made The Wild Bunch (1969), which was the beginning of...Show more »
Everything I do has a moral to it. Yes, I've been in films that have had shootings. I made The Wild Bunch (1969), which was the beginning of the splattering of blood and everything else. But there was a moral behind it. The moral was that, by golly, bad guys got it. That was it. Yeah. Show less «
Ever since they opened the floodgates with Clark Gable saying, "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn", somebody's ears pricked up and said,...Show more »
Ever since they opened the floodgates with Clark Gable saying, "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn", somebody's ears pricked up and said, "Oh boy, here we go!". Writers used to make such wonderful pictures without all that swearing, all that cursing. And now it seems that you can't say three words without cursing. And I don't think that's right. Show less «
[on Brokeback Mountain (2005)] I didn't see it and I don't care to see it . . . If John Wayne were alive, he'd be rolling over in his grave.
[on Brokeback Mountain (2005)] I didn't see it and I don't care to see it . . . If John Wayne were alive, he'd be rolling over in his grave.
[on his $5,000 salary for playing the eponymous lead in Marty (1955), which won him a Best Actor Oscar] . . . I would have done it for nothi...Show more »
[on his $5,000 salary for playing the eponymous lead in Marty (1955), which won him a Best Actor Oscar] . . . I would have done it for nothing. Show less «
Robert Ryan was a craftsman from start to finish. He was an actor first, a star second.
Robert Ryan was a craftsman from start to finish. He was an actor first, a star second.
Where can we find the great actors we had yesteryear, guys like Spencer Tracy and Gary Cooper and Edward G. Robinson? You know, I was talkin...Show more »
Where can we find the great actors we had yesteryear, guys like Spencer Tracy and Gary Cooper and Edward G. Robinson? You know, I was talking to Lee Marvin the other day and we agreed that we were the last of a breed. We're the last who had the opportunity of working with these fine actors. I feel very humble. It makes me feel that I've got to try that bit harder. Show less «
I like my women a little big. Natural. Now, they shave this and wax that. It's not right. I love natural women. Big women. This trend in wom...Show more »
I like my women a little big. Natural. Now, they shave this and wax that. It's not right. I love natural women. Big women. This trend in women has to go. Bulemia, anorexia. That's just wrong. You know what will cure that? My special sticky buns. One lick of my sticky buns and your appetite will come right back. Show less «
[on the womens rights movement] They tried it the wrong way. You can't expect anyone to take you seriously if you burn your undies and tell ...Show more »
[on the womens rights movement] They tried it the wrong way. You can't expect anyone to take you seriously if you burn your undies and tell me I'm a pig. That's why it failed. Too many ugly broads telling me that they don't want to sleep with me. Who wanted you anyway? Show less «
I hate hippies and dopeheads. Just hate them. I'm glad we sent the men off to war. They came back with a sense of responsibility and respect...Show more »
I hate hippies and dopeheads. Just hate them. I'm glad we sent the men off to war. They came back with a sense of responsibility and respect. We should have grabbed the women, given them a bath, put a chastity belt on them, and put them in secretary school. Show less «
[on his marriage to Ethel Merman] Biggest mistake of my life. I thought I was marrying Rosemary Clooney.
[on his marriage to Ethel Merman] Biggest mistake of my life. I thought I was marrying Rosemary Clooney.
[on drugs] No, I've never done anything. At least, not to my knowledge. I once took a bunch of goofballs by accident. They looked like candy...Show more »
[on drugs] No, I've never done anything. At least, not to my knowledge. I once took a bunch of goofballs by accident. They looked like candy. They were in a little bowl at a party. I grabbed a hand full and went to town. That was some New Year's Eve. I didn't have a coherent thought 'til February. Show less «
[reflecting on Paul Newman's passing] What can you possibly say about such a wonderful, dedicated man? He was a great guy. I feel he is much...Show more »
[reflecting on Paul Newman's passing] What can you possibly say about such a wonderful, dedicated man? He was a great guy. I feel he is much better off, God bless him, I feel so sorry for his wife, Joanne Woodward, who is just the most lovely person, too. But, hey, he left his mark, God bless him, and you can't say no more than that, by golly. He left not only that, but he left a wonderful thing that he'd been doing for everyone--I mean, donating all his money from different things that he's done to help children. Show less «
I think you have to keep going. Otherwise, you know these fellas that say, "Boy I can't wait to retire. Boy, I'm going to be 65 years old, a...Show more »
I think you have to keep going. Otherwise, you know these fellas that say, "Boy I can't wait to retire. Boy, I'm going to be 65 years old, and I'm retiring and I'm quitting and that's it." Well, two weeks later they're saying to themselves, "What the hell am I gonna do?" And first thing you know they find themselves in a wheelchair or in a rocking chair going back and forth, back and forth, and that's the end of it. And suddenly you're dead. Show less «
[on his popularity while playing the 40-something Lt. Cmdr. Quinton McHale on McHale's Navy (1962)] It's not exactly the Navy I remember. I ...Show more »
[on his popularity while playing the 40-something Lt. Cmdr. Quinton McHale on McHale's Navy (1962)] It's not exactly the Navy I remember. I don't think we could have won the war if we'd had one like this. But it's a lot more laughs. Show less «
[In 1962] In 1941 I quit the Navy to go to work in a factory in New Haven, Connecticut . . . 1941, what a year to quit the Navy. I was back ...Show more »
[In 1962] In 1941 I quit the Navy to go to work in a factory in New Haven, Connecticut . . . 1941, what a year to quit the Navy. I was back in a few months. In the beginning, we had only three boats patrolling the entire Atlantic Coast and I was on one of them. Then they sent me to Hollywood, Florida. I was assigned to a PY, patrol yacht. The PY was a converted yacht, the S.S. Intrepid. It used to be owned by the Murphy who invented Murphy beds. He took it to Europe and all over before the war. You should have seen what the Navy did to it! Show less «
[In 1963] Somebody said there was no such as small roles; only small actors. I think it was Mickey Rooney. Anyway, it ain't true.
[In 1963] Somebody said there was no such as small roles; only small actors. I think it was Mickey Rooney. Anyway, it ain't true.
I've got to treat my throat like a broken leg and let it get strong again. My shouting and "har de har har" days are over.
I've got to treat my throat like a broken leg and let it get strong again. My shouting and "har de har har" days are over.
[on why he wanted to star in McHale's Navy (1962)] Theater business was disappearing and so were night clubs, which I don't like to play any...Show more »
[on why he wanted to star in McHale's Navy (1962)] Theater business was disappearing and so were night clubs, which I don't like to play anyway because they keep me up too late. There were TV guest shots, but how many times can you play Ed Sullivan? My biggest pay was from industrial shows, but they don't come along too often. Show less «
[In 1971, promoting Who Killed the Mysterious Mr. Foster? (1971)] Research is a crock. All the necessary research is done by the author. Why...Show more »
[In 1971, promoting Who Killed the Mysterious Mr. Foster? (1971)] Research is a crock. All the necessary research is done by the author. Why should I do the research on his research? The only thing I did was bring my characterization to Cook [director Fielder Cook] and then we worked on it. Sam Hill is a good, likable guy, but you can also get mad at him. The character should have a controversial quality. Show less «
McHale [his character on McHale's Navy (1962)] was always trying to put one over on the captain. Sam Hill [his character in Who Killed the M...Show more »
McHale [his character on McHale's Navy (1962)] was always trying to put one over on the captain. Sam Hill [his character in Who Killed the Mysterious Mr. Foster? (1971)] isn't trying to put one over on anybody. He's a man who takes no guff from anyone. He can get disorderly when faced with trials and tribulations. When he does wrong, he admits it. People can see themselves in this character. Show less «
Everybody says all you have to do is get a television show that will last three years and you can retire. Lemme tell you something, I was in...Show more »
Everybody says all you have to do is get a television show that will last three years and you can retire. Lemme tell you something, I was in McHale's Navy (1962) for four years and I owned a third of the show. Show less «
I don't care whether a part is 10 minutes long, or two hours, and I don't care whether my name is up there on top, either. Matter of fact, I...Show more »
I don't care whether a part is 10 minutes long, or two hours, and I don't care whether my name is up there on top, either. Matter of fact, I'd rather have somebody else get top billing; then if the picture bombs, he gets the blame, not me. Show less «
[In 1973, about being under contract to a studio] No, thanks. I was under contract once, to Hecht-Hill-Lancaster. It cost me $500,000 to get...Show more »
[In 1973, about being under contract to a studio] No, thanks. I was under contract once, to Hecht-Hill-Lancaster. It cost me $500,000 to get out of it. Show less «
[in 1965 of his off-camera feud with McHale's Navy (1962) producer Edward Montagne] When Universal told me that [he] was not going to produc...Show more »
[in 1965 of his off-camera feud with McHale's Navy (1962) producer Edward Montagne] When Universal told me that [he] was not going to produce but direct the movie, I told them that my price would be triple. So, they made a story about "McHale's Navy" without "McHale". Show less «
[in 1966 about his reputation for being temperamental] Yes, I'm a hot-tempered Italian, but I don't think I am ever unfair or unjust.
[in 1966 about his reputation for being temperamental] Yes, I'm a hot-tempered Italian, but I don't think I am ever unfair or unjust.
[In 1972] I think we all have the urge to be a clown, whether we know it or not. The clown we see is a fascinating person, expressing pathos...Show more »
[In 1972] I think we all have the urge to be a clown, whether we know it or not. The clown we see is a fascinating person, expressing pathos, poignancy, joie de vivre. It's an opportunity to express one's innermost feelings while hiding behind a mask. Show less «
Please, for heaven's sake, if anybody lives next to a hospital, a veteran's hospital or something, take a half-hour, take an hour, take two ...Show more »
Please, for heaven's sake, if anybody lives next to a hospital, a veteran's hospital or something, take a half-hour, take an hour, take two hours, and go down there and visit our veterans. They would love to see you. Bring 'em flowers or something. Just to say hello. Believe me, they're hungry for people to come and see them . . . we owe freedom and opportunity to them. It's the least we can do. Show less «
No Stanislavsky. I don't chart out the life histories of the people I play. If I did, I'd be in trouble. I work with my heart and my head, a...Show more »
No Stanislavsky. I don't chart out the life histories of the people I play. If I did, I'd be in trouble. I work with my heart and my head, and naturally emotions follow ... If none of that works, I think to myself of the money I'm making. Show less «
Ernest Borgnine's Photos
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Kip Killagin
Henry
Bert O'Riley
Sgt. Willy Dunlop
Milas
Ragnar Lothbrok
Sgt. 'Fatso' Judson
Cabbie
Harry Booth
Dutch Engstrom
Ted Denslow
General Sam Worden
Carface
Caesar
Marty Piletti
Mermaid Man
Coley Trimble
Paul Manning
Dominic Santini
Rex Page
Nicholas
Big Jim
Mermaid Man, Mermaid Man Doll
Dominic Rosselli, Himself
