- While resting between takes in his dressing room during the filming of Three Brave Men (1956) on the 20th Century-Fox lot, he received a visit from Tom Parker, the manager of Elvis Presley, presenting him with an armful of Elvis records. Elvis had heard of Borgnine defending his singing while making his acting debut in Love Me Tender (1956), also filming on another soundstage on the lot--Elvis had sent the records over in appreciation but was too shy to present them himself, never getting past the dressing room door. Borgnine said, "Well, we'll have to do something about that", telling Parker to make sure Elvis stopped by the following day. When Elvis eventually did come by, he could hear his record "Hound Dog" blaring out from the room and painted on the dressing room door were the words "Elvis Borgnine".
- In 2007, he became the first male Oscar winner for Best Actor to still be alive on his 90th birthday, and in 2012, became the first male Oscar winner for Best Actor to still be alive (and working) on his 95th birthday.
- While on location in Mexico filming Vera Cruz (1954), he and fellow cast member Charles Bronson found themselves with some extra time on their hands and decided to go to the nearest town to get some cigarettes. Still in full costume--including bandoliers and pistols--they mounted their horses and headed out. Along the way, they were spotted by a truckful of Mexican "federales"--federal police--who mistook them for bandits and held them at gunpoint until their identities could be verified.
- In a video interview on the Screen Actors Guild website, in association with his 2011 Lifetime Achievement Award, he was asked by members of Facebook what actor he would have loved to have worked with but hadn't until that time. He mentioned only one: Peter O'Toole, stating he'd been friends with him for years and that O'Toole had a wonderful attitude he'd always admired. On July 10, 2012, two days after Borgnine's death, O'Toole announced his retirement from acting.
- Was physically healthy and active until his death at age 95.
- Twice-wed Borgnine married thrice-wed Broadway diva Ethel Merman in 1964. Their marriage was dissolved after 32 days. They had announced their impending nuptials at the legendary New York night spot P.J. Clarke's, but Borgnine, who was riding high as the star of McHale's Navy (1962) at the time, said the marriage began unraveling on their honeymoon when he received more fan attention than she did. The competitive Merman was left seething. "By the time we got home, it was hell on earth," he recalled in a 2001 interview. "And after 32 days I said to her, 'Madam, bye'." Borgnine went on to marry twice more - with his fifth marriage lasting over 39 years until his death - but Merman remained single after their divorce. In her 1978 autobiography, she devoted a chapter to the marriage - It consisted of one blank page.
- Was the very first "center square" on The Hollywood Squares (Daytime) (1965) (during its premiere week in October 1966).
- Said that at one point, he was considering making the United States Navy a career--he spent ten years there--but his mother talked him into becoming an actor.
- Was made an honorary US Navy Chief Petty Officer by Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON) Terry Scott on 10/15/04. Before acting, he served in the navy for ten years, from 1935-45, and left the service as a Gunner's Mate First Class.
- Though he occasionally feuded with Mickey Rooney, they were also great friends and worked together many times over the years, notably in the opening of The 50th Annual Academy Awards (1978), in Outlaws: The Legend of O.B. Taggart (1995), the screenplay written by Rooney, and Night Club (2011). In Hollywood on the evening of July 9, 2012, was a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the filming of It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (1963) hosted by Billy Crystal featuring many of the movie's cast and crew. Ernest had passed away the day before and Rooney went on stage that evening, mentioned this fact and asked the audience for a moment's silence in remembrance. This event was filmed and later released as The Last 70mm Film Festival (2014).
- Was the only actor to star in all four "Dirty Dozen" films.
- Was presented with the Screen Actors Guild's Lifetime Achievement Award in January 2011 by Morgan Freeman and Tim Conway.
- Alongside Norman Lloyd, William Daniels, Angela Lansbury, Mickey Rooney, Betty White, Dick Van Dyke, Edward Asner, Celeste Holm, Christopher Lee, Adam West, Marla Gibbs, William Shatner, Larry Hagman, Florence Henderson, Shirley Jones, Hal Linden and Alan Alda, Borgnine was one of the few screen actors who lived into their 80s and/or 90s without ever either retiring from acting or having stopped getting work.
- His automobile's licence plate is BORG9.
- Until 1962, he was a heavy smoker. He quit that year, and became a militant anti-smoker.
- Passed away on July 8, 2012, at age 95, and within three months of four other television legends who were also born in 1917, either aged 94 or 95: Ann Rutherford, Celeste Holm, Phyllis Diller and Herbert Lom; and only five days after Andy Griffith, born in 1926.
- On McHale's Navy (1962) he played a US Navy officer on a PT boat. In real life, Borgnine had been a Navy NCO (Gunner's Mate) on the USS Slyph (PY-12), a yacht taken into Navy service as a small patrol vessel and equipped with various guns and depth charges.
- His film career spanned 61 years, from 1951 to 2012, His first leading role was his Oscar-winning performance in Marty (1955), his last leading role was at age 95 in The Man Who Shook the Hand of Vicente Fernandez (2012).
- According to The Single Guy (1995) series' lead, Jonathan Silverman, Borgnine came to work with more energy and passion than all other stars combined. He was the first person to arrive on the set every day and the last to leave.
- Involved in an air crash (1996) and had both knees replaced (1999).
- His fifth wife, Tova Borgnine, was almost 25 years his junior.
- On McHale's Navy (1962), his character spoke Italian, as Borgnine did in real-life.
- Celebrated his 90th birthday at a local bistro in West Hollywood, CA, in 2007. Among the guests were Tim Conway; his wife, Tova Borgnine; Dennis Farina; Army Archerd; Andy Granatelli' Bo Hopkins; Burt Young; Steven Bauer; his son, Cris Borgnine; his grandson, Anthony Borgnine; Debbie Reynolds; Connie Stevens; Larry Manetti; and Don Rickles, among many others.
- He won the 1955 Academy Award as Best Actor for Marty (1955), his first and only nomination for an Oscar. He was also nominated, and won, the Golden Globe, BAFTA (British Academy), National Board of Review and New York Film Critics Circle Awards for the same role. All were not only his first win, but his first and only nominations as lead actor in a theatrical film.
- On February 6, 2007, he received California's highest civilian honor, the California Commendation Medal. It was presented to him on the set of A Grandpa for Christmas (2007) by Major General William H. Wade II, Adjutant General and Commander of the California National Guard, for a lifetime of exceptionally meritorious service as well as recognizing his "heartfelt advocacy on behalf of military personnel and veterans on many fronts, including the California National Guard".
- His grandfather had been the financial adviser to King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy.
- Was one of the main influences for George Lucas in creating the character Dexter Jettster for Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002) and years later for the character of Pao in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016).
- Auditioned for the lead role in the romantic drama Marty (1955) while shooting Bad Day at Black Rock (1955) in Lone Pine, CA.
- Periodically performed as the "Grand Clown" for The Great Circus Parade in Milwaukee, WI, since the 1970s.
- Was the producers' first choice for the lead role in McHale's Navy (1962).
- Was the only movie star to appear in 3D movies from both the Golden Age in the 1950s (The Stranger Wore a Gun (1953) and The Bounty Hunter (1954)) and the format's revival in the 2010s (one of his last movies, The Lion of Judah (2011)).
- Tortilla Flats, a West Village Tex-Mex restaurant on the corner of West 12th and Washington in New York City, had an obsession with Borgnine from the mid-1980s to its closure in October 2018. A booth was completely covered in his photos and the restaurant had a yearly "Ernest Borgnine Night". Staff members were put through rigorous Borgnine trivia training when hired. While he had no involvement in the restaurant, he made occasional visits, and wore one of their shirts when filming Captiva Island (1995). The annual celebration gained national prominence when featured on Episode dated 22 February 2009 (2009) in February 2009, with John Turturro and his son among the party goers in attendance--Ernest himself was there at the end of the night (via loudspeaker phone), wishing everyone well and to "have one [a drink] for me".
- His former McHale's Navy (1962) co-star, Tim Conway, was reunited with him in having a recurring role on SpongeBob SquarePants (1999), on separate episodes of each show.
- His second ex-wife Katy Jurado, passed away in 2002. He referred to her as "beautiful, but a tiger".
- Was an active Freemason and had been the Honorary Chairman of the Scottish Rite RiteCare Program, which sponsors 175 Scottish Rite Childhood Language Disorders Clinics, Centers, and Programs nationwide.
- At age 91, he wrote an autobiography, "Ernie", which is a loose, conversational recollection of highlights from his acting career and notable events from his personal life.
- Inducted into the Hall of Great Western Performers of the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum (1996).
- He was considered for the role of Don Vito Corleone in The Godfather (1972) before Marlon Brando was cast.
- He never retired from acting and worked right up until his death at the age of ninety-five.
- Although he played Kirk Douglas' father in The Vikings (1958), he was six weeks his junior in real life. He also played Tony Curtis' father in the same film in spite of being only eight years his senior.
- He has appeared in five films that have been selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically" significant: From Here to Eternity (1953), Johnny Guitar (1954), Bad Day at Black Rock (1955), Marty (1955) and The Wild Bunch (1969).
- Had attended Yale University, where he majored in math and hated this; he transferred to the Randall School of Dramatic Arts in Hartford, CT, paid for by the G.I. Bill.
- Though he was in all three sequels to The Dirty Dozen (1967), he was not in the sequel to McHale's Navy (1964) made the following year McHale's Navy Joins the Air Force (1965). In later years he told interviewers that he never got a clear explanation why the movie had been made without him despite the original's box-office success and that he was amazed that he hadn't even been asked to appear in it, saying that theater owners criticized him, thinking he had refused to do the movie. Theories as to why he wasn't asked include the fact that Universal and producer Edward Montagne wanted to keep the production's budget low as well as develop Joe Flynn and Tim Conway into a starring team for a theatrical movie franchise the way Montagne would eventually do with Don Knotts in the years to come. Borgnine would shrug this setback off very fast and accept one of the main roles in the all-star Robert Aldrich production The Flight of the Phoenix (1965), would go on and star in the TV series' 1965-66 final season and decades later be the only original McHale's cast member included in the remake/sequel McHale's Navy (1997).
- On March 3, 2006, he was given a standing ovation when introduced at the National Italian-American Foundation's salute to the Academy Awards, which was celebrating 78 years of Italian-American Oscar winners and nominees. Former Motion Picture Producers Association of America chief Jack Valenti co-chaired the dinner, and Italian-Americans in attendance included Connie Stevens, Dom DeLuise, Robert Loggia and Al Martino as well as Italian actor Franco Nero.
- One of his favorite hobbies was stamp collecting. He started as a boy collecting stamps and never settled on any issue or specialization; he did have an extensive collection of Russian and Cuban stamps collected during the Cold War period. He would go on to become a member of the Citizens Stamp Advisory Committee (CSAC) from September 1975 through January 1984 and in 1978 starred in public service announcements in print and television for the US Postal Service, promoting their "50th Anniversary Year of Talking Pictures" and "Surrender at Saratoga" Commemoratives. He admitted in later years that because of his work and traveling he gradually let his collecting go but would always in the years that followed promote the art of stamp collecting at every opportunity.
- Passed away on July 8, 2012. Just before his death, he appeared in his final film: The Man Who Shook the Hand of Vicente Fernandez (2012).
- He received his 50-year pin as a Freemason in Abingdon Lodge #48, Abingdon, VA (2000).
- He was one of the few overseas guests to be invited twice to Australia's main television industry awards, the TV Week Logie Awards, in March 1982 and March 1990, both ceremonies held in Melbourne.
- After the success of RED (2010), his final Hollywood studio film, he always held out hope he'd be around to reprise his role as Henry the records keeper in the 2013 sequel. When interviewed in April 2012, he mentioned there was talk about it over the years and made one request to the producers: "I told them if they do it, I want to carry a gun this time". He kept in touch with screenwriters Jon Hoeber and Erich Hoeber and, in the end, would have had a major role in a sequence at the start of the movie. When he passed away three months prior to the start of production, his scenes were reconfigured and would feature an uncredited Titus Welliver.
- Had the distinction of appearing in more of the 100 Most Enjoyably Awful Movies of All Time as listed in Razzie Award-founder John Wilson's book "The Official Razzie Movie Guide", than any other actor--a total of four: The Adventurers (1970), The Legend of Lylah Clare (1968)The Oscar (1966), and The Poseidon Adventure (1972).
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