While Bronson’s career in the States was pretty humble, and he was considered a bona fide movie star, he was actually as a massive star in other countries,

Back in the ’70s, Charles Bronson was one of the hottest action stars in Hollywood. His stoic demeanor made him the embodiment of the typical, rugged macho man. And while his popularity soared in America, it absolutely skyrocketed in Europe.

This iconic star has gone down in cinematic history as one of the most devilish and interesting guys who could do most of his stunts on his own (despite being a relatively late bloomer in Hollywood). Here’s a look at his humble beginnings, and how he made it to the top with his persistence and strong spirit.

A Nine-Year-Old Smoker
Charles Buchinsky (known as Charles Bronson) was born in 1921 and was a great addition to an already large family – he was the 11th kid out of a family of 15 siblings! His parents struggled to make ends meet. And they were so poor that Bronson had to wear his sister’s clothes to school, and yes, that includes her dresses.

He also had his hair repeatedly shaved off to keep the lice away. Very early on, Bronson felt that he had to work to help his family and spent his afternoons working away at a local coal mine. All that early stress is likely why Bronson picked up the nasty habit of smoking at nine years old.

He Burped His Way to His First Role
Charles had always been fascinated with the arts, and he loved nothing more than painting. But it took him a while to get into showbiz. After serving in the army during World War II, he landed up in Atlantic City and made a living by working odd jobs.

One day, he was invited by a theater troupe to paint a scenery for one of their plays. He ended up falling in love with performing, and he landed his first role on the silver screen, in the film You’re in the Navy Now (1951), by being the only actor in the line who could “burp on demand.”

What Nationality Is Charles Bronson?
American, yet his parents were from Lithuania. In fact, their origin is why he changed his last name.

When Bronson was at the start of his career, Senator Joseph McCarthy busied himself with getting rid of all the communists in Hollywood. Scared that his Lithuanian name would cause trouble or raise some eyebrows, he decided to change it up.

He decided on the name Bronson after driving around with his friend Steve McQueen, who spotted a sign that read “Bronson” and cried that it would be a perfect name for this up and rising star!

He Was Jack Klugman’s Roommate
Before Jack Klugman rose to stardom for playing the ruffled and unkempt Oscar in the small screen adaptation of Neil Simon’s The Odd Couple, he was starring opposite a star in real life – Charles Bronson. In the late ’40s, the duo shared a flat together.

harles Bronson and Jack Klugman lived together in New York for a few years. They became great friends, sharing dinner and getting to know each other’s inner circles. According to Klugman, Charles Bronson was organized and tidy, and a “damn good ironer.”

He Wasn’t the First Pick for Death Wish
After an adaptation of Brian Garfield’s novel Death Wish (1972) began circling around movie studios, director Michael Winner decided it was time to search for the perfect actor who could play a very convincing Paul Kersey.

The character was a pacifist who became a vigilante and starts shooting down criminals after his wife was violently attacked. One of the first actors to be approached was Henry Fonda, but he found the persona to be “repulsive.” Then, when the director approached Bronson, he smiled and “I’d like to do it.” When the director asked him, “the movie?” he answered, “No, shoot muggers.” The movie, which was released in 1974, ended up being a huge hit, grossing $22 million.

His Two Biggest Fears
It’s hard to picture Charles Bronson in a state of fear, isn’t it? What could he have possibly feared? Well, according to sources, when shooting Death Wish, the star insisted that the suite they booked for him be on the second floor, he didn’t want to be placed any higher up.

He Didn’t Talk Much
Charles Bronson didn’t talk much on screen, and according to sources, that wasn’t so far from how he was in reality. The actor usually preferred to say as little as possible during interviews. Journalist Roger Ebert said that he felt like Bronson would rather be anywhere else than in the hot chair being interviewed.

I don’t ever talk … about the philosophy of a picture,” Bronson said. “It has never come up. And I wouldn’t talk about it to you. I don’t expound. I don’t like to overtalk a thing … Because I’m entertained more by my own thoughts than by the thoughts of others.”

He Was a Huge Star in Italy
While Bronson’s career in the States was pretty humble, and he was considered a bona fide movie star, he was actually as a massive star in other countries, among them, Italy. Apparently, Italians used to call him “Il Brutto,” meaning, The Ugly One.

In France, he was tagged as one of the cinematic “monstres sacrés.” His film would often rake in a lot more in those countries than in North America. According to one publicist, Charle

s Bronson’s name once appeared on a huge sign in Japan that was over a block long!

Played by Lance Henriksen in a TV Film
A little after Charles Bronson’s wife, actress Jill Ireland, passed away in 1990, a movie based on her private journals was produced. They called it “Reason for Living: The Jill Ireland Story,” and it starred Jill Clayburgh in the role of Ireland and Lance Henriksen ( from Aliens) as Charles Bronson.

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