Charles Bronson:
It is cliche to say "they dont make men like this anymore"
But it is true.
Bronson was the 11th of 15 children
Grew up in rural Pennsylvania
Spoke Lithuanian at home, english was his second language (he also spoke Russian and Greek)
Learned how to box as a matter of self protection, kept up the habit for exercise his whole life
Father died in a mining accident, so he started working as a coal miner as a teenager
Joined Airforce in WW2, served as an aerial gunner
Got out, worked odd jobs. Hired as a painter at a local theatre
Realized that actors got paid, seemed like an easy way to make money
Worked for decades, eventually got paid $1 million a film,
Didnt became a "Star" until Death Wish when he was 52
Had 4 children, owned a 260 acre ranch
Hated critics, didnt care about being "deep",
didnt like other actors,
was perfectly content to play violent characters, leave the set, and play with his kids