Ernest Borgnine (born Ermes Effron Borgnino; January 24, 1917- July 8, 2012) was an American actor of television and film. His career had spanned more than six decades. He was an unconventional lead in many films of the 1950s, including his Academy Award-winning turn in the 1955 film Marty. On television, he played Quinton McHale in the 1962-66 series McHale's Navy and costarred in the mid-1980s action series Airwolf, 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 his role as present-day Mermaid Man in the Nickelodeon animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants. In "Mermaidman Begins", it is revealed that Mermaid Man's identity before becoming the superhero was named Ernest as well.