Ernest Borgnine

Today is Ernest Borgnine's Birthday. He is 93. "His career has spanned over five decades. He was an unconventional lead in many films of the 1950s, He played against type in 1955 by securing the lead role of Marty Piletti, a shy and sensitive butcher, in Marty (1955). He won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance, despite strong competition from Spencer Tracy, Frank Sinatra, James Dean and James Cagney. On television, he is best known for playing Quinton McHale in the 1962-66 series McHale's Navy and voicing the character Mermaid Man in the series, SpongeBob SquarePants. He was also on the mid-1980s action series Airwolf. He earned an Emmy nomination at age 92 for his work on the series ER. In August 2009 at age 92 he earned the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Rhode Island International Film Festival."

One time he was asked what was his secret to keep himself so active. He answered "jerking off everyday". During the interview on TCM program, he was asked why he had decided to star in the TV show, McHale's Navy . He answered that the very next day he had won an Oscar, a news paper delivery boy showed up at his house and did not recognize him at all while the boy knew many TV actors. That was when he realized that he needed to be in TV show to gain popularity from all ages.

He was made an honorary U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer by Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON) Terry Scott on October 15, 2004. He served in the U.S. Navy for ten years from 1935-1945 and left the service as a Gunner's Mate 1st Class.

While on location in Mexico filming Vera Cruz (1954), he and fellow cast member Charles Bronson found themselves with some extra time on their hands and decided to go to the nearest town to get some cigarettes. Still in full costume -- including bandoliers and pistols -- they mounted their horses and headed out. Along the way they were spotted by a truckload of Mexican "federales" -- federal police -- who mistook them for bandits and held them at gunpoint until their identities could be verified.

Happy Birthday Ernie!!