Born Charles Buchinski in 1921 to Lithuanian immigrant parents in Pennsylvania, Charles Bronson was best known for playing rugged, tough, no-nonsense characters.
He served in the US military during World War II as a tailgunner, before studying art in Philadelphia and becoming interested in acting. At the California Pasadena Playhouse, Bronson was introduced to the director Henry Hathaway, who got him his first film role in You’re In The Navy Now.
Charles Bronson’s career took off in 1960, when he starred as Bernardo in The Magnificient Seven. He followed it with roles in The Great Escape and The Dirty Dozen, before moving to Europe, where he would star in Sergio Leone’s classic spaghetti western Once Upon A Time In The West.
True stardom found Bronson a few years after his return to the United States, in Michael Winner’s controversial Death Wish. The violent film about an ordinary man turned vigilante earned him iconic status and he would go on to appear in all four sequels.
Born: 3 November 1921
Place of Birth: Ehrenfeld, Pennsylvania, USA
Died: 30 August 2003