Tony Curtis File Photos (June 3, 1925 - September 29, 2010)

Charles Bronson c. 1969, photo by Prphotos

Birth Name: Charles Dennis Buchinsky

Date of Birth: November 3, 1921

Place of Birth: Ehrenfeld, Pennsylvania, U.S.

Date of Death: August 30, 2003

Place of Death: Los Angeles, California, U.S.

Ethnicity: Lithuanian and/or Polish, possibly other Eastern European

Charles Bronson was an American actor, also credited as under his birth name, Charles Buchinsky. He was legendary for playing tough guy roles.

Charles’s father, Walter Buchinski, was an Eastern European emigrant, evidently from Druskininkai (now in Lithuania). Charles’s mother, Mary (Valinski/Valinsky), was born in Pennsylvania, to Eastern European parents.

Charles’ paternal grandfather was named Frank Buchinsky/Buchinski.

Charles’ paternal grandmother was named Elizabeth.

Charles’ maternal grandfather was named Thomas Valinski (the son of Jes Valinski).

Charles’ maternal grandmother was named Mary Ann/Annie Butsavage.

In a 1974 interview, Charles stated:

In Ehrenfeld, we were all jammed together. All the fathers were foreign-born. Welsh, Irish, Polish, Sicilian. I was Lithuanian and Russian. We were so jammed together we picked up each other’s accents. And we spoke some broken English. When I got into the service, people used to think I was from a foreign country.

In 1973, he stated:

People in this country think I’m an Indian, but I’m Slavic. I don’t care where I came from-it doesn’t matter. But I’d like to go to Lithuania some day, just to see it. And Russia, see what it’s like….

Charles’ parents’ surnames were not distinctly Lithuanian, although it is possible that they were changed from more Lithuanian-sounding names. It appears that the family spoke Lithuanian. It was uncommon for working-class Eastern European Catholic immigrants of the time to have ethnic Russian ancestry, so it is not clear if Charles’ statement that he had Russian ancestry was accurate.

Charles had also stated that he had Mongolian ancestry.

Some internet sources write that Charles had Tatar ancestry on his father’s side. It is not clear what the source of this claim is, or whether Charles himself stated so. Charles’s father, mother, and Charles himself, are listed as “White” on the 1920 U.S. Census, and Charles’s paternal and maternal grandparents are all listed as having been born in Lithuania.

Charles was married to Kim Weeks, until his death. He had two children with his former wife Harriet Tendler, and two children with his former wife, English actress and singer Jill Ireland.

Charles is listed as having been Jewish on several web sites. He was not Jewish. However, his first wife Harriett is Jewish.

Sources: Charles Bronson on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

Marriage record of Charles’ parents – https://familysearch.org

Genealogies of Charles Bronson – https://www.geni.com
https://www.findagrave.com

ncG1vNJzZmidpJ27qq%2FEpZybq16YvK57wqGYq6SVqHqjvs6nqqimX5i8rrnEp6tmqJGcsm59