Oscar-winner Ernest Borgnine dead at 95

LOS ANGELES, July 8 (UPI) -- Oscar-winning actor Ernest Borgnine died in a Los Angeles hospital, his spokesman said Sunday. He was 95.

Borgnine's family was by his side when he passed, longtime representative Harry Flynn told the Los Angeles Times.

Borgnine won the best actor Oscar for his depiction of a love-lorn butcher in 1955's "Marty," and went on to show his range in a variety of dramatic and comedic roles on the big screen and television.

He starred as the irascible PT boat captain in the TV series "McHale's Navy" from 1962 to 1966 and was the hardened Sgt. Fatso Judson in "From Here to Eternity."

He got his start in films in "Whistle at Eaton Falls" in 1951. His credits also include "Bad Day at Black Rock," "Jubal," "Flight of the Phoenix," "The Dirty Dozen,""The Wild Bunch" and "The Poseidon Adventure."

He became the oldest performer to receive a Golden Globe nomination for his role in 2007's "A Grandpa for Christmas," and he was nominated for an Emmy in 2009 for a guest shot in "ER."

Borgnine served in the Navy during World War II.

In a 2008 interview, Borgnine told the Times books helped invigorate him.

"I do an awful lot of reading," he said. "It keeps me busy. I try to keep my mind going always. That is the thing that counts. You can have your body not feeling so good, but if your mind is working you got it made. That is the way I figured it out."