Ernest Borgnine

One of the most prolific and talented character actors in American film, Academy Award winner Ernest Borgnine appeared in every genre of motion picture for over 60 years, remaining active onscreen well into his ninth decade. After making both his Broadway and feature debuts in 1951, Borgnine made his mark as the vicious Sgt. "Fatso" Judson in "From Here to Eternity" (1953). Just two years later, he earned audiences' sympathy as the titular lovesick butcher in "Marty" (1955), a role that earned him the Oscar for Best Actor. From there, he was the star of the popular television sitcom "McHale's Navy" (ABC, 1962-66), before returning to film with "Flight of the Phoenix" (1965) and "The Dirty Dozen" (1967). He was in top form as the right-hand man to William Holden's aging outlaw leader in Sam Peckinpah's violent revisionist Western "The Wild Bunch" (1969) and was a thorn in Gene Hackman's side in "The Poseidon Adventure" (1972). In the 1970s, Borgnine found second life with a return to the small screen after a notable appearance in "Jesus of Nazareth" (NBC, 1977) and an Emmy-winning performance in "All Quiet on the Western Front" (CBS, 1979). He maintained a solid television presence with in "Airwolf" (CBS, 1984-86), "The Commish" (ABC, 1991-96) and voicing Mermaid Man on "SpongeBob SquarePants" (Nickelodeon, 1999- ). By the time he made his final appearances in "Red" (2010) and "The Man Who Shook the Hand of Vicente Fernandez" (2012), Borgnine was recognized as a versatile performer who was equally adept at playing all-too-human heroes as well as hissable villains.