Ernest Borgnine: The Hardest Working Man in Show Business

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You know, I've said this on Twitter and Facebook, and I still think it's true:

Ernest Borgnine, who recently passed away, was the hardest working man in show business.

At the very least, he was the hardest working actor - one glance at his IMDB entry, and there's a long list of movies, television, etc. A great mix of classics, pretty good jobs, and strictly-in-it-for-the-paycheck work. Yet, Borgnine treated everything with the same sense of diligence and quality, and had one helluva work ethic.

(As far as personal favorites...for now, I'll say his brief role in Escape from New York. I'm sure I'll think of a better example later on).

(For those who may find this amusing - I once asked Don Rickles online if he and Borgnine were twins. His response - "No, he's Italian and I'm Jewish....Gordon, stay out of my life!")

It's not hyperbolic to say that an era in entertainment is coming to an end....but thankfully, we have a really strong body of work from Ernest Borgnine.

Fire up your video rental queues, ladies and gentlemen. Trust me - you've got some great viewing ahead of you.