Ernest Borgnine Net Worth - Pulptastic

Publish date: 2024-06-22

What was Ernest Borgnine’s Net Worth?

Ernest Borgnine, the prolific American actor, had a net worth of $15 million at the time of his death in 2012. Over the course of his six-decade career, he appeared in numerous films and television shows, including “From Here to Eternity,” “Bad Day at Black Rock,” “The Wild Bunch,” and “Marty,” the last of which earned him an Academy Award. Borgnine was married five times and had four children, and he was awarded the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award in 2011. Sadly, he passed away from kidney failure on July 8, 2012, at the age of 95.

Early Life

Ernest Borgnine was born as Ermes Effron Borgnino on January 24, 1917 in Hamden, Connecticut to Italian immigrants Camillo and Anna. His parents separated when he was two years old, but reconciled in 1923 and moved to New Haven with Borgnine and his younger sister Evelyn. He attended James Hillhouse High School, where he played sports.

Ernest Borgnine’s Military Service

After graduating from high school, Borgnine enlisted in the US Navy and served aboard the USS Lamberton. He was honorably discharged in 1941.

Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, Borgnine reenlisted and served aboard the antisubmarine warfare ship the USS Sylph. He was again honorably discharged after the war.

From Factory Worker to Broadway Actor

After leaving the Navy, Borgnine took a job at a factory but was unhappy. His mother encouraged him to pursue acting, and he studied at the Randall School of Drama before joining the Barter Theatre in Virginia. In 1947, he made his theatrical debut in “State of the Union” and went on to perform in “The Glass Menagerie.” He made his Broadway debut in 1949 as a nurse in “Harvey.”

Ernest Borgnine’s Career in Film

Ernest Borgnine made his debut in films in 1951. He appeared in three movies that year, including the adventure film “China Corsair” and the films noir “The Whistle at Eaton Falls” and “The Mob.”

Borgnine gained recognition for his role as Staff Sergeant James R. “Fatso” Judson in the Oscar Best Picture winner “From Here to Eternity.” He then played villains in “Johnny Guitar,” “Vera Cruz,” and “Bad Day at Black Rock.” However, he won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in the 1955 romantic drama “Marty,” in which he played a timid New York butcher.

Borgnine went on to appear in many other films, including “Run for Cover,” “The Last Command,” “The Square Jungle,” “Jubal,” “The Catered Affair,” “Three Brave Men,” “The Vikings,” “Torpedo Run,” and “The Rabbit Trap.”

Ernest Borgnine’s Film Career

Ernest Borgnine’s film career thrived throughout the 60s, 70s, and 80s. In the 60s, he appeared in notable films such as “The Dirty Dozen,” “Ice Station Zebra,” and “The Wild Bunch.” The 70s saw Borgnine in films like “The Poseidon Adventure,” “Convoy,” and “The Black Hole.” In the 80s, he starred in “Escape from New York,” “Spike of Bensonhurst,” and “Laser Mission.”

Borgnine continued to work prolifically on the big screen in his later years, with credits in the 90s including “Gattaca” and “BASEketball.” His 2000s credits include “Red” and “Another Harvest Moon.” Borgnine’s final film performance was in 2012’s “The Man Who Shook the Hand of Vicente Fernandez,” in which he starred as retired DJ and actor Rex Page.

Borgnine’s Prolific Television Career

Ernest Borgnine made his television debut in 1951 and went on to appear in numerous shows, including “Captain Video and His Video Rangers,” “Navy Log,” and “Laramie.” He became a household name for his role as Lieutenant Commander Quinton McHale in “McHale’s Navy” from 1962 to 1966 and later starred in “Future Cop” and the television film “Fire!”

Borgnine continued to work on television throughout his life and appeared in multiple sequels of “The Dirty Dozen” and the NBC sitcom “The Single Guy.” He also voiced the character Mermaid Man on “SpongeBob SquarePants” from 1999 to 2012. In the 2000s, Borgnine appeared in several television films, including “A Grandpa for Christmas” and “Love’s Christmas Journey.” He received an Emmy nomination for his guest role in the final season of “ER” in 2009.

Ernest Borgnine’s Marriages

Ernest Borgnine was married five times throughout his life. His first marriage was to Rhoda Kemins in 1949, and they had a daughter named Nancee before divorcing in 1958. He then married actress Katy Jurado in 1959, but they divorced in 1963. Borgnine’s marriage to singer Ethel Merman in 1964 was his shortest, lasting only 42 days. From 1965 to 1972, Borgnine was married to Donna Rancourt, and they had three children together. Finally, in 1973, Borgnine married businesswoman Tova Traesnaes, and they remained together until Borgnine’s death in 2012 at the age of 95 due to kidney failure.

Ernest Borgnine’s Beverly Hills Home Sold for $3 Million

Tova Borgnine, who had been a QVC entrepreneur for many years, recently put her and Ernest Borgnine’s longtime Beverly Hills homes on the market for $3.4 million. Ernest Borgnine had owned the home for over six decades.

In February 2013, the property was bought for $3 million by next door neighbors Jason Bateman and his wife Amanda Anka.

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