Ernest Borgnine, 95 , dies

**SnarkyOracle!** · 07-08-2012, 10:06 PM

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/upshot/o...212606632.html

By Wendy Carpenter | The Upshot – 40 mins agoEmailtweetShare3PrintErnest Borgnine, who won the best-actor Oscar as a lovesick butcher in "Marty" in 1955, died Sunday. He was 95.

His longtime spokesman, Harry Flynn, told The Associated Press that Borgnine died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles with his family by his side.

A prolific and talented character actor, Borgnine was known for gruff, villainous roles such as the heavy who beats up Frank Sinatra in "From Here to Eternity" and one of the bad guys who harasses Spencer Tracy in "Bad Day at Black Rock."

Borgnine, who earned a salary of $5,000 for playing his Academy-Award winning role as Marty, once said "I would have done it for nothing."

He was also known as the Navy officer in the television series "McHale's Navy," which aired from 1962-66. Borgnine earned an Emmy Award nomination at age 92 for his work on the series "ER."

"The Oscar made me a star, and I'm grateful," Borgnine told an interviewer in 1966, according to AP. "But I feel had I not won the Oscar I wouldn't have gotten into the messes I did in my personal life."

The actor was married five times, including to singer Ethel Merman, who became his third wife in 1964. The marriage barely lasted a month.

Borgnine is survived by his fifth wife, Tova Traesnaes — whom he married in 1973 — son Christopher and daughters Sharon and Diana.

**Stimpy** · 07-08-2012, 10:53 PM

i just saw this on another site. i was & still am shocked by his death. i thought he would have live to be over 100 to be honest. honestly he looked pretty good. he even had lost a LOT of weight in recent years than say the weight he was in say the 90's.

**minx** · 07-08-2012, 11:02 PM

I thought he was a very good actor (excellent in THE WILD BUNCH), but I'll mainly remember him for his gap-toothed grin and THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE. I'm not sure that's a good thing as I only wanted Shelley Winters' overweight grandma character to make it off the boat alive and for someone to kick the crap out of Carol Lynley.

**SnarkyOracle!** · 07-08-2012, 11:07 PM

Borgnine is one of the only American actors who looked the same at 95 as he did at 35. Or maybe he looked the same at 35 as he would at 95.

**Sarah13** · 07-08-2012, 11:51 PM

I thought my mouth was going to hit the floor! I remember reading this quote before from him: 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.
He kept working (great work I might add) and because of that I always thought he would be around for a long long time. RIP Ernie, we'll miss you. I think I'm going to rent The Poseidon Adventure.

**Luke** · 07-09-2012, 12:13 AM

so young!

**CarlD** · 07-09-2012, 12:21 AM

He said in a recent interview he hoped to live until the year 2013, after that, he didn't care.

so close !!!

RIP Ernest

**Scarlett** · 07-09-2012, 01:00 AM

Originally Posted by Luke

so young!

Was this sarcasm?

No idea he was married five times, no idea who he is actually.

**Englishboy** · 07-09-2012, 04:06 AM

I remember him from Airwolf in the 1980s but 95 years of age is not too shabby. RIP

**Swami** · 07-09-2012, 07:38 AM

Originally Posted by Englishboy

I remember him from Airwolf in the 1980s but 95 years of age is not too shabby. RIP

Yes, I remember him well in that too.

Swami

**vaughnleland** · 07-09-2012, 01:54 PM

a greta actor..I had the chance to meet him back in 2009 at the chiller film expo in new jersey. I was shocked when I heard he passed away..he was so active for a 95 year old man. was it sudden?

**Tessie** · 07-09-2012, 08:34 PM

Originally Posted by CarlD

He said in a recent interview he hoped to live until the year 2013, after that, he didn't care.

so close !!!

RIP Ernest

What's special about 2013?

**Mrs. JR Ewing** · 07-09-2012, 09:42 PM

I loved him!!

**Barbara Fan** · 07-10-2012, 12:52 PM

Gosh I didnt realise he as that old - there are so few actors left from the golden age of Hollywood, when stars were stars,

I always think of him (dont know if hed want to be remembered for this ) as Jonathon in Little house on the prairie

and as a roman soldier in jesus of nazareth