Charles Bronson (born Charles Dennis Buchinsky; November 3, 1921 – August 30, 2003) was an American actor. Known for his "granite features and brawny physique," he gained international fame for his starring roles in action, western, and war films; initially as a supporting player and later a leading man. A quintessential cinematic "tough guy", Bronson was cast in various roles where the plot line hinged on the authenticity of the character's toughness and brawn. At the height of his fame in the early 1970s, he was the world's No. 1 box office attraction, commanding $1 million per film.
Born to a Lithuanian-American coal mining family in rural Pennsylvania, Bronson served in the United States Army Air Forces as a bomber tail gunner during World War II. He worked several odd jobs before entering the film industry in the early 1950s, playing bit and supporting roles as henchmen, thugs, and other "heavies". After playing a villain in the Western film Drum Beat, he was cast in his first leading role by B-movie auteur Roger Corman, playing the title character in the gangster picture Machine-Gun Kelly (1958). The role brought him to the attention of mainstream critics, and led to sizable co-lead parts as an Irish-Mexican gunslinger in The Magnificent Seven (1960), a claustrophobic tunneling expert in The Great Escape (1963), a small-town Southern louche in This Property Is Condemned (1966), and a prisoner-turned-commando in The Dirty Dozen (1967).
Despite his popularity with audiences and critics, Bronson was unable to find top-billed roles in major Hollywood productions. His acclaim among European filmmakers, particularly in France and Italy, led to a string of successful starring roles on the continent. He played a vengeful, Harmonica-playing gunman in Sergio Leone's epic Spaghetti Western Once Upon a Time in the West (1968), an offbeat detective in Rider on the Rain (1970), real-life Mafia turncoat Joe Valachi in The Valachi Papers (1972), and starred opposite Alain Delon in Adieu l'ami (1968) and Red Sun (1971). The success of those films proved his capability as a leading man and launched him to international stardom. In his home country, he played the architect-turned-vigilante Paul Kersey in Death Wish (1974) and its four sequels, a role that typified the rest of his career. He continued acting well into the 1980s, often in Cannon Films productions. His final role was in a trilogy of made-for-television films, Family of Cops, aired between 1995 and 1999.
Filmography
Film YearTitleRoleNotesReferences1951The MobJackUncreditedYou're in the Navy NowWascylewskiThe People Against O'HaraAngelo Korvac1952Bloodhounds of Broadway"Pittsburgh Philo" GreenBattle ZonePrivatePat and MikeHank TaslingCredited as Charles BuchinskiDiplomatic CourierRussian AgentUncreditedMy Six ConvictsJockoCredited as Charles BuchinskyThe Marrying KindEddie – Co-Worker at PlantUncreditedRed Skies of MontanaNeff1953Miss Sadie ThompsonPrivate EdwardsCredited as Charles BuchinskyHouse of WaxIgorOff LimitsRussellUncreditedThe ClownEddie, Dice PlayerTorpedo AlleySubmariner1954ApacheHondoCredited as Charles BuchinskyRiding ShotgunPintoTennessee ChampSixty Jubel, the 'Biloxi Blockbuster'Crime WaveBen HastingsVera CruzPittsburghDrum Beat"Captain Jack" Kintpuash1955Target ZeroSergeant Vince GaspariBig House, U.S.A.Benny Kelly1956JubalReb Haislipp1957Run of the ArrowBlue Buffalo1958Gang WarAlan AveryWhen Hell Broke LooseSteve BolandMachine-Gun KellyMachine Gun KellyShowdown at Boot HillLuke Welsh1959Never So FewSergeant John Danforth1960The Magnificent SevenBernardo O'Reilly1961Master of the WorldJohn StrockA Thunder of DrumsTrooper Hanna1962X-15Lieutenant Colonel Lee BrandonKid GalahadLew Nyack1963The Great EscapeFlight Lieutenant Danny Velinski, 'The Tunnel King'4 for TexasMatson1965Guns of DiabloLinc MurdockFeature version of the final episode of The Travels of Jaimie McPheetersThe SandpiperCos EricksonBattle of the BulgeMajor WolenskiThe Bull of the WestBen JustinTheatrical release combining 2 episodes of The Virginian1966This Property Is CondemnedJ.J. NicholsThe Meanest Men in the WestCharles S. DubinTheatrical release combining 2 episodes of The Virginian1967The Dirty DozenJoseph Wladislaw1968Guns for San SebastianTecloAdieu l'amiFranz ProppVilla RidesRodolfo FierroOnce Upon a Time in the West"Harmonica"1969You Can't Win 'Em AllJosh Corey1970LolaScott WardmanRider on the RainColonel Harry DobbsViolent CityJeff Heston1971Cold SweatJoe Moran / Joe MartinSomeone Behind the Door"The Stranger"Red SunLink Stuart1972The Valachi PapersJoseph ValachiChato's LandPardon ChatoThe MechanicArthur Bishop1973The Stone KillerDetective Lou TorreyChinoChino Valdez1974Mr. MajestykVincent "Vince" MajestykDeath WishPaul Kersey1975BreakoutNick ColtonHard TimesChaneyBreakheart PassAgent John Deakin / John Murray1976From Noon till ThreeGraham DorseySt. IvesRaymond St Ives1977The White BuffaloWild Bill Hickok1978TelefonMajor Grigori Bortsov1979Love and BulletsDetective Charlie Congers1980BorderlineAgent Jeb MaynardCaboblancoGifford "Giff" Hoyt1981Death HuntAlbert Johnson1982Death Wish IIPaul Kersey / Mr. Kimble198310 to MidnightDetective Leo Kessler1984The Evil That Men DoHolland / Bart Smith1985Death Wish 3Paul Kersey 1986Murphy's LawDetective Jack Murphy1987AssassinationAgent Jay KillionDeath Wish 4: The CrackdownPaul Kersey1988Messenger of DeathGarret Smith1989Kinjite: Forbidden SubjectsLieutenant Crowe1991The Indian RunnerMr. Roberts1994Death Wish V: The Face of DeathPaul Kersey / Professor Paul Stewart
Television (partial list) YearTitleRoleFormatEpisodeReference1955Cavalcade of AmericaJohn StanizewskiTelevision series Season 4 episode 6: "A Chain of Hearts"1956, 1962 Alfred Hitchcock Presents Detective Krovitch; Frank Bramwell; Ray Bardon Season 1 episode 20: "And So Died Riabouchinska"; season 1 episode 25: "There Was an Old Woman"; season 7 episode 18: "The Woman Who Wanted to Live"1956Gunsmoke Crego Season 1 episode 28: "The Killer"1958 Ben Tiple Season 4 episode 8: "Lost Rifle"1958–1960 Man with a Camera Mike Kovac 29 episodes1959Yancy DerringerDonavanSeason 1 episode 20: "Hell and High Water"1961The Twilight ZoneManSeason 3 episode 1: "Two"1961One Step BeyondYank DawsonSeason 3 episode 16: "The Last Round"1963–1964The Travels of Jaimie McPheetersLinc Murdock26 episodes1964BonanzaHarry StarrSeason 6 episode 12: "The Underdog"1965 "Rawhide" Episode "Duel at Daybreak"1967The FugitiveRalph SchuylerSeason 4 episode 17: "The One That Got Away"1977Raid on EntebbeBrigadier General Dan ShomronTelevision film1986Act of VengeanceJoseph Yablonski1991Yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa ClausFrancis Pharcellus Church1993The Sea WolfCaptain Wolf LarsenDonato and DaughterSergeant Mike Donato1995Family of CopsCommissioner Paul Fein1997Breach of Faith: A Family of Cops 21999Family of Cops 3
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