Charlton Heston
Wilmette, Illinois, USA
Gender
Birthday
Popularity
Biography
Charlton Heston (October 4, 1923 – April 5, 2008) was an American actor, renowned for his towering screen presence and roles in some of Hollywood’s most famous epics. Born John Charles Carter in Illinois, he discovered his passion for acting in school, studied drama at Northwestern University, and began his career on stage and in live television before transitioning to film. He first gained major attention in Cecil B. DeMille’s The Greatest Show on Earth and then became an international star with his performances as Moses in The Ten Commandments and Judah Ben‑Hur in Ben‑Hur, the latter earning him the Academy Award for Best Actor. Heston went on to headline a wide range of big‑budget films, including El Cid, The Agony and the Ecstasy, Planet of the Apes, and The Omega Man, establishing himself as one of the most recognizable leading men of mid‑20th‑century cinema. Beyond acting, he was active in public life, supporting civil rights in the 1960s and later becoming a prominent conservative voice and president of the National Rifle Association from 1998 to 2003. He retired from public life after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2002 and died on April 5, 2008, in Beverly Hills, California, leaving behind a legacy as both a cinematic icon and a polarizing political figure.
Movie Credits
Greatest Heroes and Legends of the Bible: Daniel and the Lion's Den
Greatest Heroes and Legends of The Bible: David and Goliath
Greatest Heroes and Legends of The Bible: Jonah and the Whale
Charlton Heston and Ben-Hur: A Personal Journey
Greatest Heroes and Legends of The Bible: Samson and Delilah
Greatest Heroes and Legends of The Bible: The Garden of Eden
AFI: 100 Years... 100 Movies... 10th Anniversary Edition
Planet of the Apes: A Milestone of Science Fiction
King: A Filmed Record... Montgomery to Memphis
With Orson Welles: Stories from a Life in Film
Charlton Heston Presents the Bible: Jesus of Nazareth
Sword-and-Sandal: The Story of the Period Epic
Magician: The Astonishing Life and Work of Orson Welles
Greatest Heroes and Legends: The Story of Moses
Greatest Heroes and Legends of The Bible: Joshua and the Battle of Jericho
Charlton Heston Presents The Bible: The Story of Moses
Sam Peckinpah's West: Legacy of a Hollywood Renegade
Hollywood at Your Feet: The Story of the Chinese Theatre Footprints
Masters of Illusion: The Wizards of Special Effects
An All-Star Celebration Honoring Martin Luther King Jr.
