Age, Biography, and Wiki
Charles Bronson, born Charles Dennis Buchinsky on November 3, 1921, was an American actor known for his rugged roles in action films. He passed away on August 30, 2003, at the age of 81. Bronson's life was a testament to perseverance, as he transitioned from working in mines to becoming a Hollywood star.
| Occupation | Soldiers |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | 3 November 1921 |
| Age | 103 Years |
| Birth Place | Ehrenfeld, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Horoscope | Scorpio |
| Country | U.S |
| Date of death | 30 August, 2003 |
| Died Place | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
Height, Weight & Measurements
Details about Charles Bronson's height and weight are not extensively documented, but he was known for his rugged physique, which complemented his tough on-screen personas.
Also in 1954, during height of the Red Scare and the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) proceedings, he changed his surname from Buchinsky to Bronson at the suggestion of his agent, who feared that a Russian surname might damage his career.
| Height | |
| Weight | |
| Body Measurements | |
| Eye Color | |
| Hair Color |
Dating & Relationship Status
Charles Bronson was married twice, first to Harriet Tendler and then to Jill Ireland until his death. His marriage to Jill Ireland was particularly significant, as she was also an actress and part of his personal and professional life.
Charles Bronson (born Charles Dennis Buchinsky; November 3, 1921 – August 30, 2003) was an American actor. He was known for his roles in action films and his "granite features and brawny physique". Bronson's father, a miner, died when Bronson was young. Bronson himself worked in the mines as well until joining the United States Army Air Forces in 1943 to fight in World War II. After his service, he joined a theatrical troupe and studied acting. During the 1950s, he played various supporting roles in motion pictures and television, including anthology drama TV series in which he would appear as the main character. Near the end of the decade, he had his first cinematic leading role in Machine-Gun Kelly (1958).
He was the 11th of 15 children born into a Roman Catholic family of Lithuanian descent. The very large family slept in shifts in their cold-water shack. The coal car tracks that ran out of the mine's mouth passed just a few yards away. His father, Walter Buchinsky ( Vladislavas Valteris Paulius Bučinskas/Bučinskis), was a Lipka Tatar from Druskininkai in southern Lithuania.
In a 1973 interview, Bronson remarked that he did not know his father very well, and was not sure if he loved or hated him, adding that all he could remember about him was that whenever his mother announced that his father was coming home, the children would hide. In 1933, after his father died of cancer, Bronson went to work in the coal mines, first in the mining office and then in the mine. He later said he earned one dollar for each ton of coal that he mined. In another interview, he said that he had to work double shifts to earn $1 a week. Bronson later recounted that he and his brother engaged in dangerous work removing "stumps" between the mines, and that cave-ins were common.
The family suffered extreme poverty during the Great Depression, and Bronson recalled going hungry many times. His mother could not afford milk for his younger sister, so she was fed warm tea instead. He said he had to wear his elder sister's dress to school for lack of clothing. Bronson was the first member of his family to graduate from high school.
In 1974, Bronson's most famous role came at age 52, in Death Wish, his most popular film, with director Michael Winner. He played Paul Kersey, a successful New York architect who turns into a crime-fighting vigilante after his wife is murdered and his daughter sexually assaulted. This movie spawned four sequels over the next two decades, all starring Bronson. Many critics were displeased with the film, considering it an "immoral threat to society" and an encouragement of antisocial behavior. The film was the 20th highest-grossing film in the US that year making 22 millions at the box office.
In 1993, Bronson was paired Dana Delany to lead in the CBS television film Donato and Daughter, directed by Rod Holcomb. In it, Bronson plays Delany's father, and are both cops assigned to investigate a serial killer. In Kay Gardella's review published in The Gazette she says "Delany and Bronson work well together. Bronson shows a warmer, more caring side than his usual tough-guy image allows. And Delany, as attractive as ever, is crisp and efficient as cop."
His first marriage was to Harriet Tendler, whom he met when both were fledgling actors in Philadelphia. They had two children, Suzanne and Tony, before divorcing in 1965. She was 18 years old when she met the 26-year-old Charlie Buchinsky at a Philadelphia acting school in 1947. Two years later, with the grudging consent of her father, a successful, Jewish dairy farmer, Tendler wed Buchinsky, a Catholic and a former coal miner. Tendler supported them both while she and Charlie pursued their acting dreams. On their first date, he had four cents in his pocket — and went on, now as Charles Bronson, to become one of the highest paid actors in the country.
Bronson was married to English actress Jill Ireland from October 5, 1968, until her death in 1990. He had met her in 1962, when she was married to Scottish actor David McCallum. At the time, Bronson (who shared the screen with McCallum in The Great Escape) reportedly told him, "I'm going to marry your wife". The Bronsons lived in a Bel-Air mansion with seven children: two by his previous marriage, three by hers (one of whom was adopted), and two of their own, Zuleika and Katrina, the latter of whom was also adopted. After they married, she often played his leading lady, and they starred in fifteen films together.
| Parents | |
| Husband | Harriett Tendler (m. 1949-1965) Jill Ireland (m. 1968-1990) Kim Weeks (m. 1998) |
| Sibling | |
| Children |
Net Worth and Salary
At the time of his death, Charles Bronson's net worth was estimated to be around $45 million, which is equivalent to approximately $75 million in today's dollars. His salary for films like "The Stone Killer," "Chino," and "Death Wish" was around $1 million each, with increases for subsequent projects. During his peak, he was the highest-paid actor globally.
After this period, he returned to the United States to make more films, working with director Michael Winner. Their early collaborations included Chato's Land (1972), The Mechanic (1972) and The Stone Killer (1973). At this point, he became the world's top box-office star, commanding a salary of $1 million per film. In 1974, Bronson starred in the controversial film Death Wish (also directed by Winner), about an architect turned vigilante, a role that typified most of the characters he played for the rest of his career. Most critics initially panned the film as exploitative, but the movie was a major box-office success and spawned four sequels.
Career, Business, and Investments
Charles Bronson's career spanned over four decades, with iconic roles in films like "The Magnificent Seven" and the "Death Wish" series. He was known for his smart investment choices, owning properties such as a ranch in Vermont and homes in Los Angeles, which appreciated over time. His financial prudence and savvy investments contributed significantly to his net worth.
In his early career, Bronson was still credited as Charles Buchinsky. His first film role – an uncredited one – was as a sailor in You're in the Navy Now in 1951, directed by Henry Hathaway. Other screen appearances in 1951 were The Mob, and The People Against O'Hara, directed by John Sturges.
In 1968, Bronson made a serious name for himself in European films. He was making Villa Rides when approached by the producers of Jean Herman's French film Adieu l'ami looking for an American co-star for Alain Delon, a fan of Bronson's acting. Bronson's agent Paul Kohner later recalled the producer pitched the actor "on the fact that in the American film industry all the money, all the publicity, goes to the pretty boy hero types. In Europe... the public is attracted by character, not face." Bronson was signed in December 1967. The film was shot in Marseilles and Paris. The film was a massive hit in France, earning around $6 million at the box office. Bronson went on to star in a series of European made movies that were hugely popular. The TV Guide praised the chemistry between Delon and Bronson.
At the time of his death, film critic Stephen Hunter said that Bronson "oozed male life-force, stoic toughness, capability, strength" and "always projected the charisma of ambiguity: Was he an ugly handsome man or a handsome ugly man? You were never sure, so further study was obligatory." Hunter said, "he never became a great actor, but he knew exactly how to dominate a scene quietly." Bronson "was the man with the name ending in a vowel ... who never left the position, never complained, never quit, never skulked. He simmered, he sulked, he bristled with class resentments, but he hung in there, got the job done and expected no thanks. His nobility was all the more palpable for never having to be expressed in words."
Social Network
Charles Bronson was not active on social media platforms, as they were not prevalent during his lifetime. However, his legacy continues to be celebrated through various fan communities and tributes online.
Bronson said English was not spoken at home during his childhood, like many other first-generation American children he grew up with. He once recounted that even as a soldier, his accent was strong enough to make his comrades think he was a foreigner. Besides English, he could speak Lithuanian and Russian.
In 1963, in John Sturges's The Great Escape, Bronson was part of an ensemble cast who played World War II prisoners of war. The film received acclaim. On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the critics consensus reads, "With its impeccably slow-building story and a cast for the ages, The Great Escape is an all-time action classic." It grossed $11.7 million at the box office on a budget of $4 million. It became one of the highest-grossing films of 1963. It was nominated for Best Picture at the Golden Globe Awards, and is 19th in AFI's 100 Years...100 Thrills.
In 1977, Bronson acted in Irvin Kershner's Raid on Entebbe, where he played Dan Shomron. The NBC television film was based on the true story of the Entebbe raid. It received initially good reviews. Capitalizing on its strong all-star ensemble cast, a film version was released theatrically in the UK and Europe in early 1977. At the Golden Globe Awards it won "Best Television Movie". At the Emmy Awards it was nominated for "Outstanding Special – Drama or Comedy" as well as winning and receiving nominations in other categories. Also that year, he was reunited with Thompson in The White Buffalo, produced by Dino de Laurentiis for UA. UA also released Telefon, directed by Don Siegel. Finally in 1977, Bronson was announced as the star of Raise the Titanic (1980), but didn't appear in the final product.
Bronson was paid $1.5 million by Cannon to star in Death Wish II (1982), directed by Michael Winner. In the story, architect Paul Kersey (Bronson) moves to Los Angeles with his daughter. After she is murdered at the hands of several gang members, Kersey once again becomes a vigilante. Cannon Films promptly hired Bronson for 10 to Midnight (1983), in which he played a cop chasing a serial killer. The film marks the fourth collaboration between Bronson and director J. Lee Thompson.
In 1986, he starred in John Mackenzie's Act of Vengeance. Based on a true story, he plays union leader Joseph Yablonski going against W.A. Boyle (Wilford Brimley). For the HBO television film, Bronson acted against type and said "it's a complete departure for me, I'm not wearing a moustache, and I'm not carrying a gun. I don't perform any violence in this film." He explained since he didn't act for television in a long time, he had to think a lot about it before accepting which he did partly because of his background in mining. For his commitment on this project, Bronson dropped out of a lead role in The Delta Force (1986). Greg Burliuk of the Kingston Whig-Standard and Robert DiMatteo of The Advocate-Messenger both praised Bronson acting against type. More typical of this period were four Cannon action films: Assassination (1987) directed by Peter R. Hunt, and three with Thompson: Death Wish 4: The Crackdown (1987), Messenger of Death (1989), and Kinjite: Forbidden Subjects (1989).
Bronson told critic Roger Ebert in 1974 that "I'm only a product like a cake of soap, to be sold as well as possible." He said that in the action pictures he was producing at the time, there was not much time for acting. He said: "I supply a presence. There are never any long dialogue scenes to establish a character. He has to be completely established at the beginning of the movie, and ready to work."
Bronson was scarred by his early deprivation and his early struggles as an actor. A 1973 newspaper profile said that he was so shy and introverted he could not watch his own films. Bronson was described as "still suspicious, still holds grudges, still despises interviews, still hates to give anything of himself, still can't believe it has really happened to him." He was embittered that it took so long for him to be recognized in the U.S., and after achieving fame he refused to work for a noted director who had snubbed him years before.
On May 18, 1990, aged 54, after a long battle with breast cancer, Jill Ireland died of the disease at their home in Malibu, California. In the 1991 television film Reason for Living: The Jill Ireland Story, Bronson was portrayed by actor Lance Henriksen. On December 27, 1998, Bronson was married for a third time to Kim Weeks, an actress and former employee of Dove Audio who had helped record Ireland in the production of her audiobooks. The couple remained married until Bronson's death in 2003.
Education
There is limited information available about Charles Bronson's formal education. However, his early experiences working in mines and serving in the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II significantly influenced his life and career path.
In 1953, he played Igor the sidekick of Vincent Price in the horror film House of Wax, directed by Andre de Toth. To prepare his role as a mute he took a course in sign language. Ben S. Parker of The Commercial Appeal said "Buchinsky adds mute menace as a deaf-and-dumb assistant to the madman". In the US, the film reach the 4th place on the highest box office of that year and made 23 millions. The Library of Congress selected House of Wax for preservation in the National Film Registry in 2014, deeming it "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
The following July Gang War, started its theatrical run. Bronson plays the lead as a Los Angeles high-school teacher, who witnesses a gangland killing and agrees to testify, not realizing this will cause retaliation. On October 10, ABC's series Man with a Camera premiered. Bronson played the lead in which he portrayed Mike Kovac, a freelance crime fighting photographer in New York City. The show lasted two season until 1960.
