Oscar winning actor Ernest Borgnine died yesterday at the age of 95, but not without leaving behind a treasure trove of cinematic memories. After serving in the U.S. Navy before and during World War II, Borgnine decided to try his hand at acting at the behest of his mother, who felt that his bigger-than-life personality would serve him well. Borgnine soon found his way onto the Broadway stage, which gave him the confidence to head west to ... more 

Oscar winning actor Ernest Borgnine died yesterday at the age of 95, but not without leaving behind a treasure trove of cinematic memories. After serving in the U.S. Navy before and during World War II, Borgnine decided to try his hand at acting at the behest of his mother, who felt that his bigger-than-life personality would serve him well. Borgnine soon found his way onto the Broadway stage, which gave him the confidence to head west to Hollywood.

Within a couple of years, Borgnine landed his breakthrough role as “Fatso” Judson, Frank Sinatra’s killer in “From Here to Eternity” (1953). Borgnine continued to play bad guys until director Delbert Mann asked him to play the title character in a film adaptation of Paddy Chayefsky’s TV drama, “Marty” (1955), about a Bronx butcher who thinks he’s not meant for love. The role earned Borgnine the best actor Oscar and cemented him as a go-to casting choice for years to come, on both the big screen and on TV. This gallery highlights but some of Borgnine’s vast cinematic contribution, a canon that spans six decades of memorable titles. less