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Ernest Borgnine, Star of ‘McHale’s Navy,’ Oscar Winner for ‘Marty,’ Dead at 95

Jul 8, 2012  •  Post A Comment

Actor Ernest Borgnine, an Oscar winner remembered for his run on the 1960s ABC sitcom “McHale’s Navy,” has died, the Los Angeles Times reports. His longtime spokesman confirmed that Borgnine, 95, died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles with his family at his side, the story reports.

The article reports: “As the cruel, vicious Sgt. Fatso Judson in 1953’s ‘From Here to Eternity,’ the sweet, lonely butcher in 1955’s ‘Marty’ and the carefree con artist in the 1962-66 ABC comedy series ‘McHale’s Navy,’ Borgnine was among the most recognizable faces on both the big and small screens.”

Borgnine, who served in the Navy during World War II, made his film debut in the 1951 feature "Whistle at Eaton Falls." He won an Academy Award and a Golden Globe for “Marty.” He received three Emmy nominations, for “McHale’s Navy” in 1963, for a supporting role on the “Hallmark Hall of Fame” production “All Quiet on the Western Front” in 1980 and for a guest appearance on “ER” in 2009. He was 92 when he received the nod for “ER.”

His other feature film performances included "Bad Day at Black Rock," "The Dirty Dozen," "The Wild Bunch" and "The Poseidon Adventure."

In a 2008 interview with the Times, Borgnine commented on his longevity, saying: "I do an awful lot of reading. It keeps me busy. I try to keep my mind going always. That is the thing that counts. You can have your body not feeling so good, but if your mind is working you got it made. That is the way I figured it out."

In his personal life Borgnine was known for having one of the shortest show business marriages, to Ethel Merman. They were married for one month in 1964, one of Borgnine’s five marriages.

In a 2007 interview with the Associated Press, Borgnine noted that his fifth marriage had lasted 34 years. "That’s longer than the total of my four other marriages," he quipped.

Ernest-Borgnine.jpgErnest Borgnine

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