Veteran actor Ernest “Ernie” Borgnine has died at the age of 95.

Borgnine had one of the longest careers in Hollywood, from his first credited role in 1951 (playing a merchant marine/nightclub owner named Hu Chang) to a yet to be released role in the 2012 film The Man Who Shook the Hand of Vicente Fernandez (in which he plays Rex Page, a man bitter that he never became famous).

It is ironic that his last role should be that of a man who felt his life had no meaning when you consider that his career extended over an incredible 60 plus years. From his Oscar winning role in Marty to his signature role as Lt. Commander Quentin McHale in the 1960’s sitcom to dozens of other memorable roles, Borgnine was a legend in Hollywood.

I must admit my first exposure to Borgnine came through McHale’s Navy reruns. From the moment I first turned on the show I was caught up in the slapstick comedy but as I continued to watch there was just something about Borgnine’s presence that kept me watching.

Being right in the demographic they wanted I was also a huge fan of the series Airwolf, in which Borgnine once again took on the role of the wise and experienced mentor.

Years later of course I took in his Oscar winning role in the film Marty and was again captivated, this time by the pure genius that was on the screen. While the role was primarily that of the innocent and unsophisticated butcher, somehow Borgnine managed to give a hint of the inner wisdom that lay beneath.

Over the years of his career he played everyone from J Edgar Hoover to an angel on Little House on The Prairie to Mermaid Man on Spongebob Squarepants. In each role he brought something special, not the least of which was his good natured cheerfulness.

Perhaps the best example of the man behind the actor came when he won the Screen Actors Guild Lifetime Achievement Award in 2011.

Speaking to his fellow actors he said

“There are millions of those in the world who would love to be in our shoes… We are a privileged few who have been chosen to work in this field. I hope that we will never let our dedication to our craft fail and that we will always give the best we possibly can to our profession so people can enjoy us in later years.”

One of my hobbies is collecting celebrity autographs and one of my favorites is Borgnine’s, in which he tells me that “you can call me Ernie”

Well Ernie… thank you for a lifetime of amazing performances…..