BellaOnline Forums Travel and Culture Polish Culture Charles Bronson - Polish Actor

Charles Bronson was born in Pennsylvania to parents who were Polish and Lithuanian.

Oddly he was often cast as a Mexican in the early years!

What do you think of his acting?

I love Charles Bronson and think he was a very good actor. I never knew he was Polish and Lituanian. He mostly played Mexican or Indian roles. I had a huge crush on him for years! He was very versatile and could play many different roles. The Death Wish movies were really good. There was one movie, western, he was in with Henry Fonda and Jason Robards and that Italian actress. He was so quiet, cold and calculating but likable.

Phyllis, the movie you mentioned is Once Upon A Time In The West. I haven't seen it myself, but most members of my family are huge film buffs and the name has come up once or twice at family gatherings.

I first saw Charles Bronson in The Dirty Dozen which was an incredible movie. I don't remember thinking that he was from any specific ethnic background in the films that I have seen. He was very talented to be able to play so many different roles.

Yes I love the Dirty Dozen. We have that on DVD

I always thought of him as being European, and I really like that look he has. It feels "comfortable" to me, like the relatives I grew up with.

Dirty Dozen was an awesome movie! Bronson could play just about any type role or etnicity. He was just so unique.

What was that movie where he played sort of a fantasy character for a woman who lived alone on an old ranch in a large Victorian house? The time era was like at the end of the "old west" days and no one believed she had this lover who was so charismatic and so fantastic in all ways. People just thought she was so bored and lonely that she had made up this character. Then he disappeared for several years and returned at the end of the movie when the woman was much older and lonesome, but he had not changed much at all. Anyone remember a movie like that?

To the best of my knowledge, in Dirty Dozen, the film already mentioned here, he played a soldier of Polish origin, the one who grew up in Silesia region and could speak German fluently.

Bronson was my very first crush--my dad introduced me to him with the film, The Mechanic.

I thought he was so hot! What a body in his 50's! And he was so good to his wife, Jill Ireland when she suffered with cancer.

Had no idea he was Polish.

Charles Bronson was my very first favorite action star.

I feel he is a great actor and some of my favorite movies with him are:

The Magnificent Seven
Chato's Land
White Buffalo
Death Wish III
Once Upon a Time in the West
Mr. Majestyk
The Mechanic w/ Jan Michael Vincent
Kid Galahad w/ Elvis
Breakout
Hard Times
Breakheart Pass

That's it - the name of the movie with the legendary cowboy that woman on the farm had an affair with: Once Upon A Time In The West. I love that movie!

Charles Bronson was one of my favorite actors also. Besides Chuck Norris