Charles Bronson

Leathery, stoical leading man, often in action pictures directed by J. Lee Thompson. For years Bronson played stony-faced henchmenn and assorted villains, as with his mute in "House of Wax" (1953), made during a period when Bronson was still known as Charles Buchinsky. His roles grew in prominence over the years; he was especially memorable as the taciturn gunslinger in Sergio Leone's epic "Once Upon a Time in the West" (1969).
As the 70s approached, Bronson rather unexpectedly became an immensely popular star internationally, at first in European-made features. He specialized in tough action fare, and was perhaps best known as the vengeance-seeking vigilante in the "Death Wish" series. He made the annual exhibitors poll of top ten boxoffice stars four years in a row from 1973 to 1976. His stardom petered out in the 80s, but Bronson continued to deliver his unemotive yet at their best forcefully underplayed performances in occasional appearances through the 90s. Married to actress Jill Ireland, with whom he acted in over a dozen films, until her death in May 1990.

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 - 11/11/2009