Born on January 24, 1917, Borgnine was an instantly recognizable veteran of the big and small screen who began appearing in films in the early ’50s before being cast in the Oscar and Golden Globe-winning title role in the 1955 film Marty.
Sadly, it would be the only Oscar nomination of his career, although he would be nominated for three Emmys including one for his ongoing role in the popular ’60s television show “McHale’s Navy.” Borgnine appeared in many classic films of the ’60s, including The Wild Bunch and The Dirty Dozen, continuing to work through the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s, always being in demand even if it was just for smaller roles.
Borgnine would appear in literally hundreds of movies and television shows over his career, and in 2011, he was given a well-deserved Lifetime Achievement Award by the Screen Actors Guild.
In the past few years, his distinctive voice could be heard voicing “Mermaidman” on the popular cartoon “SpongeBob SquarePants,” and recently, Borgnine appeared in the Summit Entertainment action hit Red, based on the Wildstom comic, playing Henry the records-keeper. ComingSoon.net had the opportunity to interview the actor for an absolutely unforgettable three minutes, part of which you can watch in the video interview below (around 2:50). Borgnine is survived by his fifth wife, Tova Traesnaes, who he married back in 1973, as well as numerous children and grandchildren from Tova and his previous wives.
(Photo source: Ian Wilson/WENN.com)
