Not doing this entry would be downright EVILLLLLL!
Ermes Effron Borgnino
He was born to Italian immigrants in Connecticut in 1917.
Ernest Borgnine
Ernest\’s father was the one who Anglicized his family\’s names. So, instead of Borgnino, it would become pronounced as [bohrg-nain]. This may have been done in an effort to assimilate a lot faster into the English-speaking American society.
He would eventually enlist in the Navy where he would serve in World War II. After being honorably discharged, he would work factory jobs, until his mother would suggest a career in acting. He would eventually pursue a life in film, starring in many roles even in his 90s.
He stared in many films and television series, such as Marty, Flight of the Phoenix, Convoy, and McHale\’s Navy. Of course, if you are a Millennial such as myself, you remember him better as Mermaidman.
In any case, it is interesting how names are changed in order to acclimate faster in any society. In which case, the spelling and pronunciation are changed. There is that attachment that the name has to the original land and to the land it is brought to.
Sources (Fontoi)
- IMDb. Ernest Borgnine.
- Foundation Interviews. Ernest Borgnine on voicing \”Mermaid Man\” on SpongeBob SquarePants – EMMYTVLEGENDS.ORG. YouTube. 2010.