Actor Charles Bronson passes

Star of DEATH WISH, GREAT ESCAPE no longer with us

By Patrick Sauriol     September 01, 2003
Source: News services

Actor Charles Bronson died of pneumonia at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center last Saturday. Best known for his portrayals of tough guys in action movies, he was 81.

Bronson's biggest roles was in the 1974 picture DEATH WISH where he played a grieving husband out in search of vengeance against the criminals who killed his wife and raped his daughter. He would go on to star in four more DEATH WISH sequels, the last coming out in 1994. He also gave lasting performances in the movies THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN, THE GREAT ESCAPE, THE DIRTY DOZEN and ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST.

Born as Charles Buchinsky on November 3, 1921, Bronson grew up in a family that was poor. By the time he was 16 he was working as a coal miner. Later, after serving in the Air Force during World War II, Bronson took an interest in acting, starring in several plays and building his stage credits. In the 50s changed his surname to avoid any possible unwanted attention from McCarthyism (Russian sounding names were being singled out) and got his break in the movies by starring in the 1958 picture MACHINE GUN KELLY.

He is survived by a wife, six children and two grandchildren.


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