AirWolf
Season 2 SABC3 (*193) 12:00 Action
Every hero needs a sidekick and for helicopter pilot Stringfellow Hawke (Jan-Michael Vincent), that’s Dominic Santini (Ernest Borgnine) in action series AirWolf (1984-1987). And as it turned out, playing a war vet was perfect for Ernest, who was in the navy in World War 2 and re-enlisted after the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941.
Ernest’s fear of flying wasn’t a 1 problem because in-helicopter scenes were filmed in a purpose-built set and not an actual helicopter. His Italian immigrant parents split 2 when he was two and Ernest lived in Italy with his mom until he was six. He moved back to the US when his parents reconciled and changed their name from Borgnino to Borgnine. He worked in a factory after the 3 war but it bored him. “My mom told me that because I drink so much wine and make a fool of myself for my friends, I should do it for work,” said Ernest. “Ten years later and I had Grace Kelly handing me an Academy Award.” Ernest won four other awards with 4 his Oscar for portraying an Italian American butcher in romcom Marty, for which he was paid $5 000 (R600 000). From 1972 to 2002, Ernest was the 5 Grand Clown in Milwaukee’s Great Circus Parade. He was the voice of Mermaid Man 6 in the SpongeBob SquarePants TV show (1999- current) until 2012, as well as in the 2004 movie. The 2015 sequel film was dedicated to him. Ernest and his Swedish wife Tova 7 lived in the same Beverly Hills home that he bought in 1965 and lived in with his three previous wives.