Oscar-winning actor Borgnine dies aged 95

Veteran actor Ernest Borgnine, the star of dozens of films and television shows who won an Oscar for his portrayal of a shy butcher in love in Marty, died on Sunday, his manager said. He was 95. “It’s a very sad day. The industry has lost someone great, the caliber of which we will never see again. A true icon,” the manager, Lynda Bensky, said in an e-mail to AFP. “But more importantly the world has lost a sage and loving man who taught us all how to ‘grow young’. His infectious smile and chuckle made the world a happier place.” Bensky said the actor died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, with his family at his side. Born to Italian immigrants on January 24, 1917 in Hamden, Connecticut, Borgnine was primarily known for his roles in comedies such as the popular TV series McHale’s Navy and dramas like the World War II film The Dirty Dozen.The US Navy veteran won an Academy Award for best actor for his role in the 1955 film Marty, which also took home Oscars for best picture, best director and best screenplay. Tributes to Borgnine poured in on Twitter, from ordinary folk to fellow actors to Connecticut Governor Dan Malloy.Borgnine - who began his career as a stage actor and first shot to prominence in Hollywood when he played Sergeant “Fatso” Judson in From Here to Eternity - was also known for his role on the television series Airwolf.