Tough Guy Charles Bronson Hated Interviews and Loved Painting

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.

Portrait of American actor Charles Bronson

Photo by Gene Lester/Getty Images

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.

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