Ernest Borgnine Biography

American actor Ernest Borgnine is one of the most respected and prolific actors currently in the business. He gained the most praise, however, for his appearance in Marty, From Here to Eternity, The Wild Bunch, and many other now-classic films.

Ermes Effron Borgnino, known popularly as Ernest Borgnine, was born January 24, 1917 in Hamden, Connecticut. His parents, both immigrants from Modena, Italy, were Anna Bosselli and Charles B Borgnino. His parents divorced, however, just two years after his birth. Borgnine subsequently moved back to Italy with his mother before returning to Hamden a few years later.

Borgnine completed high school and immediately enrolled with the United States Navy. He served until he was discharged in 1941. But when the US entered into World War II, Borgnine felt he should reenlist. Doing so, he remained in the Navy until 1945.

Returning from war, Borgnine had to decide what to do with the rest of his life. After a few uncertain years, he enrolled in the Randall School of Drama. Proving a talented pupil, he relocated to Barter Theatre in Virginia where he made his stage debut in the Tennessee Williams play Glass Menagerie. Just a few short years later, he had already landed a role on Broadway in Harvey.

Deciding to pursue acting fulltime, Borgnine moved to Los Angeles where he made his film debut in 1951 with China Corsair. But his big break came in 1953 with the now-classic From Here to Eternity. Borgnine portrayed Sgt. James R “Fatso” Judson opposite Burt Lancaster, Montgomery Clift, Donna Reed, Deborah Kerr, and Frank Sinatra.

With his well-received role, Borgnine began establishing his credits as a character actor. He stepped up to the lead, though, in 1955’s Marty. A favorite at the Oscars, Borgnine walked away with the golden statue for Best Actor in a Leading Role.

Winning a slew of film and television roles after his award, Borgnine earned the lead in McHale’s Navy from 1962 to 1966. The show proved popular, and he shared that success with Edson Stroll and Gavin MacLeod. The movie version came out in 1964.

He continued to make notable appearances such as a 1967 turn in The Dirty Dozen opposite Lee Marvin and Charles Bronson. He also took part in the classic western drama The Wild Bunch in 1969. Proving a hit from the get-go, the movie was also a successful vehicle for William Holden, Robert Ryan, and Edmond O Brien.

Keeping the hits coming, Borgnine shared the screen with Gene Hackman, Red Buttons, Shelley Winters, and Roddy McDowall in The Poseidon Adventure. The film was remade in 2006 to less than mediocre reviews despite a strong cast that included Josh Lucas, Kurt Russell, and Emmy Rossum.

Borgnine found continued success as a character actor and enjoyed critical success with All Quiet on the Western Front. He also had a notable turn from 1984 to 1986 with the television series Airwolf.

Never leaving the business, Borgnine’s career has continued its momentum with surprising vigor. He currently has two projects in varying stages of production—Aces ‘N Eights and Another Harvest Moon.