Hollywood celebrities are often surrounded by glitz, making it seem like every star is naturally gifted.
But this isn’t always true, and Charles Bronson, a famous actor from Hollywood, was not one of those people. Born Charles Dennis Buchinsky, Bronson had a tough life and an especially hard childhood in a coal mining town called Croyle Township, which is about 60 miles away from Pittsburgh.
He grew up with 14 other siblings, being the ninth child out of 15. While raising just one child can be expensive, imagine the pressure on a family with so little money! This was exactly what Bronson faced.
The small cabin where he lived with his big family was very close to the coal car tracks. They had to take turns sleeping because there wasn’t enough room for everyone.
“There was no love in my house,” he said. “The only time I touched my mother was when she pulled lice out of my hair.”
The town itself felt pretty sad and empty; it mainly served business people who wanted to make money off coal mining. But it wasn’t just the Bronsons who struggled.
There wasn’t much beauty around; the water quality stunk and things looked grim for the future. It’s no wonder that Bronson described his childhood as lonely and unpleasant.
When he became a teenager and lost his father, life got even tougher. He used to trade for pennies but then had to leave school to help support his family by working as a coal miner—this seemed like the only option available.
Even as an adult, memories from that time haunted him; he could never forget how hard it was or how strong the smell of coal lingered in his nose. Living on hands and knees made him feel like he inhaled black dust all day long.
He often thought back on how dirty his hands were after work or how many headaches he suffered while mining. According to him: “I came into this world with a shovel instead of a spoon.”
Beyond physical effects though lay something deeper: working underground gave him serious feelings of inferiority.
“During my years as a miner,” he said “I felt like I was at rock bottom.”
Bronson believed that all miners shared this feeling; they thought steelworkers were superior while they were seen as low-class workers.
“Very few know what it’s like down there beneath everything else—in total darkness.”
He felt thrilled when finally joining the army—it meant escaping those dark days where food & clothes weren’t guaranteed! This chapter would lead him toward becoming one of Hollywood’s biggest names!
After serving in World War II & returning home ,he began studying art before enrolling at Pasadena Playhouse in California .
His talent shone through quickly: one teacher noticed early on & referred young Bronson over director Henry Hathaway . This led directly into landing roles starting with You’re in The Navy Now (1951).
Although unnoticed initially ,by 1954 films such as Vera Cruz followed by Machine-Gun Kelly four years later earned praise from critics alike!
In addition acting gigs early on included jobs painting,cooking,masonry,and onion-picking . In fact during these times ,he changed name legally from Buchinsky due fears regarding Russian-sounding names amidst anti-communist sentiments prevalent then .
However,it wasn’t until 1974 when Paul Kersey role came along via Death Wish—a vigilante architect whose wife/daughter face attack—that everything changed! Due success multiple sequels followed suit over decades thereafter!
After starring alongside James Coburn’s character Hard Times,Bronson continued rising fame steadily throughout career journey ahead!
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