Ernest Borgnine

Ernest Borgnine (ˈbɔrɡnaɪn; born Ermes Effron Borgnino (borˈɲiːno); January 24, 1917 – July 8, 2012) was an American actor and voice actor whose career spanned over six decades. He was noted for his gruff but calm voice, Machiavellian eyebrows, and gap-toothed Cheshire cat grin. A popular performer, he had also appeared as a guest on numerous talk shows and as a panelist on several game shows. Borgnine's film career began in 1951, and included supporting roles in China Corsair (1951), From Here to Eternity (1953), Vera Cruz (1954), and Bad Day at Black Rock (1955). He also played the unconventional lead in many films, winning the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1955 for Marty. He achieved continuing success in the 1960s sitcom McHale's Navy (1962–1966), in which he played the title character, and co-starred as Dominic Santini in the action series Airwolf (1984–1986), in addition to a wide variety of other roles. Borgnine earned an Emmy Award nomination at age 92, for his work on the series ER. He was also known for being the original voice of Mermaid Man on SpongeBob SquarePants, a role he played from 1999 until his death in 2012.