Ernest Borgnine: The hammiest ham that ever hammed

He made a great Mermaidman.

R1 beat me to it.

I only know him from McHale's Navy and Spongebob.

In case anyone doesn't know him, here's Mermaid Man:

OP is an idiot. He gave a wonderful performance in "Marty", one of my all-time favorite films. And to think he played this sympathetic character in the same time-period he played a sadistic villain in "From Here To Eternity".

It smelled like ham when he gave me that Dutch oven on our wedding night.

He was briefly -- VERY briefly -- married to Ethel Merman. They divorced within a few weeks.

In Merman's autobiography, there's a chapter titled "My Marriage to Ernest Borgnine." The rest of the page is blank, followed on the next page by the next chapter. She said her publisher's lawyers wouldn't let her print anything she had written.

She told friends privately that he couldn't get it up on their wedding night and then the next morning he'd asked her for a substantial amount of money because he had huge debts she had known nothing about.

I guess he got by on his looks.

BTW, meant to add that he won the Academy Award for Best Actor for Marty, which, needless to say, gave his career a huge boost. Marty was first done as an episode of an anthology TV show with Rod Steiger. The kinescope survives and many people feel Steiger gave the better performance, although Borgnine is good.

He was wonderful in "Marty." Nuanced and understated, and very effective. I agree that as time went on, he became an old hambone, but he actually did have talent.

My favorite Borgnine clip! Odd that ethel said he couldn't get it up, maybe he just couldn't get it up for her...

Another vote for Ernie in Marty. I was actually shocked at how good he was. Very subtle and moving performance. Not at all what I expected. Short and great film.

I have a soft spot for Ernest Borgnine. It probably goes back to McHale's Navy even though it was a little before my time.

I never saw Marty but based on the comments above I'll try to find it online.

The original production of Marty on TV with Rod Steiger and Nancy Marchand, 1953.

He refused to watch "Brokeback Mountain" and can R.I.H.

Thanks R13

He was one of the most well loved character actors of his day and well thought of in his old age. Any interview you ever see with him he seemed like the nicest guy in the world.

Check out this video of him giving a tour of his RV. He seemed like he was a normal down to earth old grandpa.

Hammiest ?

Nonsense.

I worked with him once, sweet, sweet, sweet old guy. Wouldn't let us pick him up in a limo, so he rode in the front seat of my 7 year old Volvo. He was shooting a cameo in a low budget film, but had lunch with the crew and cast members everyday he was on set. He happened to be here during a event for WWII vets, so he attended and spent several hours at 90yo shaking the hands of veterans and signing autographs. He also took me to lunch on his final day and signed a copy of his book with a lovely note thanking me for my help in arranging his flights. etc.

Sweet old man, I think his comments on BBM were misconstrued because he had an assistant who was clearly gay who he seemed to adore. All in all, a true hollywood professional who never once came across as any more "famous" than your grandfather down the street.

He was a chronic masterbater, which was fine by me.

R5 , think you meant Ethel M.

R14, he knew it was a piece of maudlin crap.

I was hammier

You want Jan, I'll give you ham!

Lee Grant is the hammiest.

Yeah? You betcha

He starred TWICE with Miss D!