Date of Birth

4 October 1923, Evanston, Illinois, USA

Date of Death

5 April 2008, Beverly Hills, California, USA

Birth Name

John Charles Carter

With features chiseled in stone, who else but Charlton Heston could you picture as Michelangelo, as Ben-Hur, as Moses? Heston's movie career took off with The Greatest Show on Earth (1952) and reached light speed with Ben-Hur (1959). Although he has played a pantheon of larger-than-life roles, he usually prefers to talk about the day-to-day daily grind of the movie business, and especially credits the writers and directors he has worked for much of his success

Renowned for playing a long list of historical figures, particularly in Biblical epics, the tall, well built and ruggedly handsome Charlton Heston is one of Hollywood's greatest leading men and remained active in front of movie cameras for over sixty years.

Heston was born John Charles Carter on October 4th 1924 in Evanston, Illinois, and made his feature film debut as the lead character in a 16mm production of Peer Gynt (1941), based on the Henrik Ibsen play. Shortly thereafter, he played 'Marc Antony' in Julius Caesar (1950), however Heston firmly stamped himself as genuine leading man material with his performance as circus manager 'Brad Braden' in the Cecil B. DeMille spectacular The Greatest Show on Earth (1952), also starring James Stewart and Cornel Wilde. The now very popular actor remained perpetually busy during the 1950s, both on TV and on the silver screen with audience pleasing performances in the steamy thriller The Naked Jungle (1954), as a treasure hunter in Secret of the Incas (1954) and another barn storming performance for Cecil B. DeMille as "Moses" in the blockbuster The Ten Commandments (1956). Heston delivered further dynamic performances in the oily film noir thriller Touch of Evil (1958), and then alongside Gregory Peck in the western The Big Country (1958) before scoring the role for which he is arguably best known, that of the wronged Jewish prince who seeks his freedom and revenge in the William Wyler directed Ben-Hur (1959). This mammoth Biblical epic running in excess of three and a half hours became the standard by which other large scale productions would be judged, and it's superb cast also including Stephen Boyd as the villainous "Massala", English actor Jack Hawkins as the Roman officer "Quintus Arrius", and Australian actor Frank Thring as "Pontius Pilate", all contributed wonderful performances.

Never one to rest on his laurels, steely Heston remained the preferred choice of directors to lead the cast in major historical productions and during the 1960s he starred as Spanish legend "Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar" in El Cid (1961), as a US soldier battling hostile Chinese boxers during 55 Days at Peking (1963), played the ill-fated "John the Baptist" in The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965), the masterful painter "Michelangelo" battling Pope Julius II in The Agony and the Ecstasy (1965), and an English general in Khartoum (1966). In 1968, Heston filmed the unusual western Will Penny (1968) about an aging and lonely cowboy befriending a lost woman and her son, which Heston has often referred to as his favorite piece of work on screen.

Interestingly, Heston was on the verge of acquiring an entirely new league of fans due to his appearance in four very topical science fiction films (all based on popular novels) painting bleak future's for mankind. In 1968, Heston starred as time traveling astronaut "George Taylor", in the terrific Planet of the Apes (1968) with it's now legendary conclusion as Heston realizes the true horror of his destination. He returned to reprise the role, albeit primarily as a cameo, alongside fellow astronaut James Franciscus in the slightly inferior sequel Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970). Next up, Heston again found himself facing the apocalypse in The Omega Man (1971) as the survivor of a germ plague that has wiped out humanity leaving only bands of psychotic lunatics roaming the cities who seek to kill the uninfected Heston. And fourthly, taking its inspiration from the Harry Harrison novel "Make Room!, Make Room!", Heston starred alongside screen legend Edward G. Robinson and Chuck Connors in Soylent Green (1973). During the remainder of the 1970s, Heston appeared in two very popular "disaster movies" contributing lead roles in the far fetched Airport 1975 (1974), plus in the star laden Earthquake (1974), filmed in "Sensoround" (low bass speakers were installed in selected theaters to simulate the earthquake rumblings on screen to movie audiences). He played an evil Cardinal in the lively The Four Musketeers (1974), a mythical US naval officer in the recreation of Battle of Midway (1976), also filmed in "Sensoround", an LA cop trying to stop a sniper in Two-Minute Warning (1976) and another US naval officer in the submarine thriller Gray Lady Down (1978).

Heston appeared in numerous episodes of the high rating TV series "Dynasty" (1981) and "The Colbys" (1985), before moving onto a mixed bag of projects including TV adaptations of Treasure Island (1990) (TV) and A Man for All Seasons (1988) (TV), hosting two episodes of the comedy show, "Saturday Night Live" (1975), starring as the "Good Actor" bringing love struck Mike Myers to tears in Wayne's World 2 (1993), and as the eye patch wearing boss of intelligence agent Arnold Schwarzenegger in True Lies (1994).

He also narrated numerous TV specials and lent his vocal talents to the animated movie Hercules (1997), the family comedy Cats & Dogs (2001) and an animated version of Ben Hur (2003) (V). Heston made an uncredited appearance in the inferior remake of Planet of the Apes (2001), and his last film appearance to date was in the Holocaust themed drama of Rua Alguem 5555: My Father (2003).

Heston has been married to Lydia Marie Clark Heston since March 1944, and they have two children. His highly entertaining autobiography was released in 1995, titled appropriately enough "Into The Arena". Although often criticized for his strong conservative beliefs and involvement with the NRA, Heston was a strong advocate for civil right many years before it became fashionable, and has been a recipient of the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, plus the Kennedy Center Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2002, he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, and has not appeared in a film or TV production since 2003.

Truly, Charlton Heston is one of the legendary figures of US cinema

Went to British Columbia to promote guns, arguing it is man's "God-given right" to own guns.

Alumnus of New Trier Township High School East, Winnetka, Illinois, where tennis was among his extracurricular activities. Other New Trier graduates include Ralph Bellamy, Rock Hudson, Hugh O'Brien, Ann-Margret, Bruce Dern, Penelope Milford, Virginia Madsen and Liz Phair.

Ranked #28 in Empire (UK) magazine's "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list. [October 1997]

Originally a Democrat who campaigned for Presidential candidates Adlai Stevenson and John F. Kennedy, he gradually switched to becoming a conservative Republican during the 1960s.

Father of director Fraser Clarke Heston and Holly Heston Rochell.

Elected first vice-president of the National Rifle Association of America (1997).

Co-chairman of the American Air Museum in Britain.

Elected president of the National Rifle Association of America. [June 1998]

Was president of the Screen Actors Guild from 1966-1971.

Has stated that he sees no contradiction with his work as a Civil Rights activist in the 1960s and his advocacy for gun ownership rights in the 1990s, insisting that he is simply promoting "freedom in the truest sense."

Volunteered his time and effort to the Civil Rights movement in the 1960s, and even marched alongside the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on a number of occasions, including the 1963 March on Washington. In the original (uncut) version of King: A Filmed Record... Montgomery to Memphis (1970), he was narrator.

He and his wife, Lydia Clarke, both battled cancer. He survived prostate cancer and she, breast cancer.

He was considered, along with English actor Ronnie Barker, for the role of Claudius in the British series "I, Claudius" (1976), but the role went to the less famous Derek Jacobi instead.

On August 9, 2002, he issued a statement in which he advised his physicians have recently told him he may have a neurological disorder whose symptoms are consistent with Alzheimer's disease.

Elected as the president of the National Rifle Association, he was re-elected to an unprecedented 4th 3-year term in 2001.

After his starring role in the 1968 version of Planet of the Apes (1968), he had an uncredited cameo in the 2001 remake, Planet of the Apes (2001), as Gen. Thade's dying father.

His professional name of Charlton Heston came from a combination of his mother's maiden name (Lila Charlton) and his stepfather's last name (Chester Heston).

Prior to starring in The Omega Man (1971), a remake of Vincent Price's film The Last Man on Earth (1964), Heston and Price appeared together in Cecil B. DeMille's The Ten Commandments (1956).

Said that Planet of the Apes (1968) was the most physically demanding film he had ever done.

He and Linda Harrison are the only actors to appear in both the 1968 and 2001 versions of Planet of the Apes.

After their son was born, they decided to adopt their next child so that they could be sure it would be a girl. Heston and his wife felt that one son and one daughter made the perfect family.

His wife calls him Charlie, but everyone else calls him Chuck

Three grandsons: John Alexander Clarke "Jack" Heston, Ridley Charlton Rochell, and "Charlie" Rochell.

His favorite food is peanut butter, and he takes it with him everywhere, even overseas.

He was voted the 52nd Greatest Movie Star of all time by Entertainment Weekly.

Was not hesitant about repeating roles: Played Ben Hur in Ben-Hur (1959) (live action) and Ben Hur (2003) (V) (animated); Andrew Jackson in the biography The President's Lady (1953), then in The Buccaneer (1958); Marc Antony in Julius Caesar (1970) and Antony and Cleopatra (1972). (Richelieu does not count, as The Three Musketeers (1973) and The Four Musketeers (1974) were filmed at the same time.).

A frail-looking Heston was presented with a Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian award, at the White House by George W. Bush in July, 2003.

Was considered for the role of "Police Chief Brody" in Jaws (1975), but both he and Oliver Reed turned it down. The part eventually went to Roy Scheider.

Was the original choice to star in Alexander the Great (1956), but declined so he could play Moses in The Ten Commandments (1956). The part eventually went to Richard Burton.

Was asked by some Democrats to run for the California State Senate in 1969, but declined because he wanted to continue acting.

First recipient of the American Film Institute's Charlton Heston Award, created in 2003. The second recipient was his close friend Jack Valenti in 2004.

He turned down the role of Gen. Joseph W. Stilwell in Steven Spielberg's 1941 (1979) because he felt the film was an insult to World War II veterans.

While they were starring in a play together in 1960, Laurence Olivier told Heston that he had the potential to become the greatest American actor of the century. When the play received unfavorable notices, Heston said, "I guess you learn to forget bad notices?", to which Olivier replied, "What's more important, laddie, and much harder -- learn to forget good notices."

In 1999 he joined Karl Malden in pressing for an honorary Academy Award for Lifetime Achievement to be awarded to veteran director Elia Kazan. Marlon Brando, who never made public appearances, refused to present the award so Robert De Niro and Martin Scorsese ultimately did.

Was chosen to portray Moses in The Ten Commandments (1956) by Cecil B. DeMille because he bore an uncanny resemblance to the statue of Moses carved by Michelangelo.

While studying acting early in his career, he made ends meet by posing as a model in New York at The Art Students League, across from Carnegie Hall. The lure to Hollywood and a contract soon ended his modeling days.

When his TV series "The Colbys" (1985) was canceled, both he and fellow cast members John James and Emma Samms were offered contracts to continue playing their characters on "Dynasty" (1981), the series that "The Colbys" was spun off from. Heston ultimately declined because his salary demands could not be met. James and Samms, on the other hand, accepted contracts.

Was unable to use his real name, John (Charles) Carter as an actor because it bore too close a resemblance to the name of the hero in Edgar Rice Burroughs' novel "Princess of Mars."

Offered to return his entire paycheck to the producers of Major Dundee (1965) so that director Sam Peckinpah could film some crucial scenes that were cut due to time and budget constraints. The producers took back Heston's paycheck but still refused to let the scenes be filmed. Heston wrote in his autobiography "In The Arena" (1995) that the main problem with Major Dundee (1965) was that everyone had a different idea of what the film was: Heston saw it as a film about life after the Civil War, the producers just wanted a standard cavalry-vs.-Indians film, while Peckinpah, according to Heston, really had his next film, The Wild Bunch (1969), in mind.

Heston is a popular actor in Greece, where his name is written as "Charlton Easton" due to "Heston" having scatological connotations in the Greek language.

He and The Big Country (1958) co-star Gregory Peck both played the infamous Nazi war criminal, Dr. Josef Mengele: Heston in Rua Alguem 5555: My Father (2003) and Peck in The Boys from Brazil (1978).

John Wayne offered Heston the role of Jim Bowie in The Alamo (1960), but he declined due to the political implications of the film.

In 1981, Heston was named co-chairman of President Ronald Reagan's Task Force for the Arts and Humanities. He served on the National Council for the Arts and was elected president of the Screen Actors Guild six times.

A World War II U.S. Army veteran, he visited troops fighting during the Vietnam War in 1967. In fact, in one camp in South Vietnam's delta area, he was "initiated" into the GI's on-base club, by having to receive a kiss on the ear!.

Recipient of Kennedy Center honors in 1997, along with Lauren Bacall, Bob Dylan, Jessye Norman and Edward Villella.

On 18 June 1968, Heston appeared on "The Joey Bishop Show" (1967) and, along with Gregory Peck, James Stewart and Kirk Douglas, called for gun controls following the assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy. Ironically, thirty years later, Heston was elected President of the National Rifle Association of America (NRA) and campaigned against gun control.

In 2000 he surprised the Oxford Union by reading his address on gun laws from a teleprompter. This later sparked rumors he had known of his Alzheimer's long before he announced it to the world in August 2002.

He campaigned for Republican presidential candidates Ronald Reagan in 1984, George Bush in 1988, George W. Bush in 2000, and Republican candidate for governor of Virginia George Allen in 1993.

He is an opponent of abortion and gave the introduction to an anti-abortion documentary by Bernard Nathanson called Eclipse of Reason (1980) which focuses on late-term abortions.

Heston served on the Advisory Board of Accuracy in the Media (AIM), a conservative media "watchdog" group founded by the late Reed Irvine.

He retired as president of the National Rifle Association in April 2003, citing reasons of ill health.

Along with Tony Curtis, Heston admitted to voting for Russell Crowe to win the Best Actor Oscar in 2001, saying before the ceremony, "I hope he gets it. He's very good."

Heston's portrayal of William F. Cody in Pony Express (1953), a western from early in his career, inspired the Bills, a Congolese youth cult that idolized American westerns.

Accepted the role in Ben-Hur (1959) after Burt Lancaster turned it down.

Has two films on the American Film Institute's 100 Most Inspiring Movies of All Time. They are The Ten Commandments (1956) at #79 and Ben-Hur (1959) at #56.

The actors he admired the most were Gary Cooper, Henry Fonda, Clark Gable, Cary Grant and James Stewart.

Was considered for the role of Jor-El in Superman (1978). The part went to Marlon Brando instead.

Although Heston was a lifelong non-smoker, he did hold a pipe in some early publicity photographs because both Clark Gable and Cary Grant smoked pipes.

He was a friend of the author Patrick O'Brian, who in turn envisaged Heston playing his character Captain Jack Aubrey.

His classmates at Northwestern University included Cloris Leachman, Paul Lynde, Charlotte Rae, Martha Hyer, Patricia Neal and Agnes Nixon.

Was an avid runner, swimmer and tennis player in his youth.

In 1996 Heston attended the Conservative Political Action Conference, an annual gathering of conservative movement organizations. There he agreed to pose for a group photo that included Gordon Lee Baumm, the founder of the Council of Conservative Citizens (CCC) and former White Citizens Council organizer. Virginia's conservative Republican Senator George Allen also appears in the photo which was published in the Summer 1996 issue of the CCC's newsletter, the Citizens Informer.

Turned down an offer to co-star with Marilyn Monroe in Let's Make Love (1960) in order to be directed in a play by Laurence Olivier, whom he greatly admired.

Was offered the role of Colonel Benjamin Vandervoort in The Longest Day (1962), but John Wayne signed for the part before Heston could accept.

Turned down the lead in The Omen (1976). The role then went to Gregory Peck.

Cited actor Gary Cooper as a childhood role model. Heston starred opposite Cooper in The Wreck of the Mary Deare (1959). Heston commended Cooper for being able to perform his own stunts, such as being under water for long periods of time, despite being in poor health and getting older.

Though often portrayed as an ultra-conservative, Heston wrote in his 1995 autobiography "In the Arena" that he was opposed to the McCarthy witch hunts of the 1950s, was against the Vietnam War and thought President Richard Nixon was bad for America.

Neighbors who live down the hill from Heston filed a lawsuit against the actor, alleging their property was damaged in January 2005 when heavy rain sent hillside debris pouring into their home. The lawsuit alleges that "slope failure" on Heston's property caused substantial damage to their home, diminishing the market value of their property. The couple seek at least $1.2 million, as well as punitive damages. Jeff Briggs, Heston's attorney, said the actor owns ten per cent of the hillside, while the neighbors own the rest. (3 January 2007).

Hosted "Saturday Night Live" (1975) in 1993.

He wore a hairpiece in every movie from Skyjacked (1972) onwards.

He defended some of his less successful films in the mid-1960s, arguing that he had already made several million dollars and therefore wanted to concentrate on projects which interested him personally.

During the Waco standoff in 1993, Heston was hired by the FBI to provide the voice of God when talking to David Koresh in an attempt to reason with him. The plan was never used.

Participated in the March on Washington for Civil Rights on 28 August 1963, along with Burt Lancaster, Marlon Brando, Sidney Poitier, Bob Dylan and Harry Belafonte.

Heston has often been compared with his friend Ronald Reagan. Both actors started out as liberal Democrats but gradually converted to conservative Republican


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