Ernest Borgnine to receive Screen Actors Guild’s life achievement award

Ernest Borgnine, who took home an Oscar for the lead role in Marty and became a fixture in American households with McHale’s Navy, will receive a Life Achievement Award tonight from the Screen Actors Guild.

“Whether portraying brutish villains, sympathetic everymen, complex leaders or hapless heroes, Ernest Borgnine has brought a boundless energy which … is still a hallmark of his remarkably busy life and career,” SAG President Ken Howard said. “It is with that same joyous spirit that we salute his impressive body of work and his steadfast generosity.”

The Connecticut native and World War II Navy veteran began performing on Broadway in 1949 before moving to Hollywood and beginning a career that has included appearances in more than 200 films. Among his more notable roles were in “From Here to Eternity”, “Bad Day at Black Rock”, “The Wild Bunch”, “Flight of the Phoenix”,  “Escape from New York” and “The Poseidon Adventure”.

Most memorably, Borgnine took home an Academy Award for his title role in the 1955 Paddy Chayefsky-penned film “Marty”.

In 1962, he landed the role of Lt. Cmdr. Quinton McHale in the comedy series “McHale’s Navy”, earning him an Emmy nomination in 1963 and a permanent place in the history of television.

He had regular roles in other television series, including “Future Cop”, “Airwolf” and “The Single Guy”.

He made guest spots in an array of other series, including “Early Edition”, “Walker, Texas Ranger”, “Touched by an Angel”, “Family Law” and “Little House on the Prairie”.  He was nominated for an Emmy in 2009 for his guest appearance on the final episode of “ER”.

His other Emmy nomination came in 1980 for his work in the Hallmark Hall of Fame production of “All Quiet on the Western Front”.

Even at age 94, Borgnine has continued performing, including a role in the recent thriller “Red”, starring Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, Mary-Louise Parker, Helen Mirren and Richard Dreyfuss.

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