Charles Bronson

Charles Bronson (1921-2003)

Personal Life

• Born: November 3, 1921, Ehrenfeld, Pennsylvania, U.S.
• Died: August 30, 2003, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
• Birth Name: Charles Dennis Buchinsky
• Nationality: American
• Spouse: Jill Ireland (1968-1990), Kim Weeks (1998-2003)
• Children: Tony Bronson, Val McCallum, Susan Bronson, Katrina Holden Bronson, Zuleika Bronson

Career

• Occupation: Actor
• Years Active: 1951-2003
• Notable Works: "The Magnificent Seven" (1960), "The Great Escape" (1963), "Once Upon a Time in the West" (1968), "Chato's Land" (1972), "Death Wish" (1974)

Biography

Charles Bronson was an American actor known for his tough guy persona and distinctive gravelly voice. He rose to fame in the 1960s and 1970s, starring in a series of action films, including "The Magnificent Seven" (1960), "The Great Escape" (1963), and "Once Upon a Time in the West" (1968). He is perhaps best known for his role as Paul Kersey in the "Death Wish" series, which began in 1974.

Bronson was born Charles Dennis Buchinsky in Ehrenfeld, Pennsylvania, on November 3, 1921. He was the son of Lithuanian immigrants and grew up in a poor family. He left school at a young age and worked a variety of jobs before joining the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. After the war, he studied acting at the Pasadena Playhouse and began his career in Hollywood in the early 1950s.

Bronson initially appeared in small roles in films and television shows before landing his breakout role in "The Magnificent Seven" in 1960. He played one of the seven gunmen hired to protect a Mexican village from bandits. The film was a critical and commercial success and helped to establish Bronson as a leading man.

Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Bronson starred in a number of successful action films, including "The Great Escape" (1963), "Once Upon a Time in the West" (1968), and "Chato's Land" (1972). He also appeared in a number of Westerns, including "The Dirty Dozen" (1967) and "The Wild Bunch" (1969).

In 1974, Bronson starred in "Death Wish," a controversial film about a vigilante who takes the law into his own hands after his wife is murdered. The film was a commercial success and spawned a series of sequels. Bronson continued to star in action films throughout the 1980s and 1990s, including "10 to Midnight" (1983), "Murphy's Law" (1986), and "The Stone Killer" (1989).

Bronson's career began to decline in the late 1990s, and he retired from acting in 2003. He died of respiratory failure in Los Angeles on August 30, 2003, at the age of 81.

Bronson was a popular and influential actor who helped to define the action genre in the 1960s and 1970s. He was known for his tough guy persona and distinctive gravelly voice, and he starred in a number of successful films. Bronson's work continues to be enjoyed by audiences around the world.