Charlton Heston
Heston at the 1963 Civil Rights March
Born	John Charles Carter October 4, 1923(1923-10-04) No Man's Land (now Evanston), Illinois, United States
Died	April 5, 2008 (aged 84) Beverly Hills, California, United States
Years active	1941-2003
Spouse(s)	Lydia Clarke (1944-2008)

Charlton Heston (born John Charles Carter; October 4, 1923 – April 5, 2008)^[1][2] was an American actor of film, theater and television. The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom was a large political rally that took place in Washington D Events 610 - Heraclius arrives by ship from Africa at Constantinople, overthrows Byzantine Emperor Phocas Year 1923 ( MCMXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. No man's land is a term for land that is not occupied or more specifically land that is under dispute between countries or areas that will not occupy it because of fear or uncertainty Evanston Illinois is an affluent suburban Chicago Municipality on Lake Michigan on the North Shore in Cook County, Illinois directly The State of Illinois ( roughly ill-i-NOY is a state of the United States of America, the 21st to be admitted to the Union. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Events 456 - St Patrick returns to Ireland as a missionary bishop 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Charlton Heston (born John Charles Carter; October 4 1923 &ndash April 5 2008) was an American Actor of Events 610 - Heraclius arrives by ship from Africa at Constantinople, overthrows Byzantine Emperor Phocas Year 1923 ( MCMXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 456 - St Patrick returns to Ireland as a missionary bishop 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common The United States of America —commonly referred to as the An actor, actress, player or thespian (see terminology) is a person who Acts in a Dramatic production and who works Theatre (or theater, see spelling differences) is the branch of the Performing arts defined by Bernard Beckerman as what "occurs when one Television ( TV) is a widely used Telecommunication medium for sending ( Broadcasting) and receiving moving Images, either monochromatic ^[3] Heston is known for having played heroic roles, such as Moses in The Ten Commandments, Colonel George Taylor in Planet of the Apes and Judah Ben-Hur in Ben-Hur, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor. A hero (from Greek grc ἥρως hērōs) in Greek mythology and Folklore, was originally a Demigod, the offspring of a mortal and Moses ( Latin: Moyses,; Greek: grc Mωυσής in both the Septuagint and the New Testament; Arabic: ar موسىٰ The Ten Commandments is a 1956 motion picture that Dramatized the Biblical story of Moses, an adopted Egyptian Planet of the Apes In the opening minutes of the movie Taylor is watching his crewmates enter a state of Hibernation aboard their ship (known noncanonically as the Planet of the Apes is a 1968 Science fiction / thriller film directed by Franklin J Ben-Hur (or Benhur is a 1959 Movie directed by William Wyler, and is the third film version of Lew Wallace 's novel Ben-Hur Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS to recognize He was one of a handful of Hollywood actors to speak openly against racism and was an active supporter of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s and 1960s. List of racism-related topics|Racism by country Racism, by its simplest definition is the belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that The American Civil Rights Movement (1955–1968 refers to the reform movements in the United States aimed at abolishing racial discrimination against African Initially a liberal Democrat, he later supported conservative politics and was president of the National Rifle Association from 1998 to 2003. Liberalism in the United States is a broad political and philosophical mindset favoring individual Liberty, and opposing restrictions on liberty whether they come from The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. Conservatism in the United States includes a variety of political ideologies including Fiscal conservatism, Supply-side economics, Social conservatism The National Rifle Association, or NRA, is a non-profit ( 501(c(4) group dedicated to the protection of the Second Amendment of the

Early life

Heston was born John Charles Carter in No Man's Land,^[4] an unincorporated area between Evanston and Wilmette, Illinois, the son of Lilla (née Charlton) and Russell Whitford Carter, a mill operator. No man's land is a term for land that is not occupied or more specifically land that is under dispute between countries or areas that will not occupy it because of fear or uncertainty Evanston Illinois is an affluent suburban Chicago Municipality on Lake Michigan on the North Shore in Cook County, Illinois directly Wilmette is a village in New Trier Township, Cook County, Illinois, United States. ^[5] (However, the 1930 Census for Richfield, Michigan (see St. Helen, Michigan),^[6] where the family then lived, reports Russell Whitford Carter was a real estate salesman. St Helen is an Unincorporated community in Richfield Township, Roscommon County in the U Heston himself in his autobiography refers only to his father participating in his family's construction business. ^[7]) Heston was of English and Scottish descent and a member of the Fraser clan. ^[8]

When he was ten, his parents divorced. Shortly thereafter, his mother married Chester Heston. The new family moved to well-off Wilmette, Illinois, a northern suburb of Chicago. Wilmette is a village in New Trier Township, Cook County, Illinois, United States. Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. Heston (his new surname) attended New Trier High School. New Trier High School (also known as New Trier Township High School or NTHS) is a public four-year High school with its major campus located

Acting career

Heston enrolled in New Trier's drama program, playing in the silent 16 mm amateur film adaptation of Peer Gynt by future film activist David Bradley. Peer Gynt (per gʏnt is a play by the Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. David Shedd Bradley ( 6 April 1920 – 19 December 1997) was an American motion picture director actor film collector and university instructor From the Winnetka Community Theatre in which he was active, he earned a drama scholarship to Northwestern University. Several years later Heston teamed up with Bradley to produce the first sound version of William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, in which Heston played Mark Antony. William Shakespeare ( baptised Julius Caesar (1950 is a film adaptation of the Shakespeare play Julius Caesar. Marcus Antonius (in Latin: M·ANTONIVS·M·F·M·N ( c January 14 83 BC&ndash August 1, 30 BC known in English as Mark

World War II service

Heston enlisted in the United States Army Air Forces in 1944. The United States Army Air Forces ( USAAF) was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II. He served for two years as a B-25 radio operator and gunner stationed in the Alaskan Aleutian Islands with the Eleventh Air Force, rising to the rank of Staff Sergeant. Alaska ( Аляска Alyaska) is a state in the United States of America, in the northwest of the North American continent The Aleutian Islands (possibly from Chukchi aliat, " Island " are a chain of more than 300 small volcanic islands forming a Volcanic The Eleventh Air Force is a United States Air Force Numbered Air Force (NAF under Pacific Air Forces. For the Brush-footed butterfly Species, see Athyma selenophora. He married Northwestern student Lydia Marie Clarke in the same year.

Theater and television

After the war, the two lived in Hell's Kitchen, New York City, where they worked as artists' models. Hell's Kitchen, also known as Clinton and Midtown West, is a neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City that includes roughly the area between A model is a person who is posed or displayed for the purpose of Art, Fashion, or other products and Advertising. Seeking a way to make it in theater, Heston and his wife Lydia decided to manage a playhouse in Asheville, North Carolina in 1947. Theatre (or theater, see spelling differences) is the branch of the Performing arts defined by Bernard Beckerman as what "occurs when one Asheville is a City in and the County seat of Buncombe County, North Carolina, United North Carolina ( is a state located on the Atlantic Seaboard in the southeastern United States They went back to New York where Heston was offered a supporting role in a Broadway revival of Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra in 1948, starring Katharine Cornell. Broadway theater, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 39 large professional theaters with 500 seats or more located Antony and Cleopatra is a Tragedy by William Shakespeare. It was first printed in the First Folio of 1623 Katharine Cornell ( February 16 1893 - June 9 1974) was a stage actress writer and theater owner and producer. Heston had success in television, playing a number of roles in CBS's Studio One, one of the most popular anthology dramas of the 1950s. Television ( TV) is a widely used Telecommunication medium for sending ( Broadcasting) and receiving moving Images, either monochromatic CBS Broadcasting Inc ( CBS) is an American radio and Television network. Studio One is a long-running American dramatic radio - television Anthology series, created in 1947 by the 26-year-old Canadian An anthology series is a radio or television series that has a different story and a different set of characters in every episode Film producer Hal B. Wallis of Casablanca spotted Heston in a 1950 television production of Wuthering Heights and offered him a contract. Hal B Wallis, CBE ( September 14, 1899 &ndash October 5, 1986) was an Academy Award -winning American Casablanca ( is an American Romantic drama film directed by Michael Curtiz, starring Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman and Wuthering Heights is Emily Brontë 's only Novel. It was first published in 1847 under the Pseudonym Ellis Bell and a posthumous second When his wife reminded Heston they had decided to pursue theater and television, he replied, "Well, maybe just for one film to see what it's like. "

Heston's most frequently played roles on stage include the title role in Macbeth, Sir Thomas More in A Man For All Seasons, and Mark Antony in Julius Caesar and Antony and Cleopatra. Macbeth is among the best-known of William Shakespeare 's plays, and is his shortest tragedy, believed to have been written some time between Sir Thomas More (7 February 1478 – 6 July 1535 from 1935 Saint Thomas More, was an English Lawyer, author and statesman who in his lifetime gained A Man for All Seasons is a play by Robert Bolt. An early form of the play had been written for BBC Radio in 1954 but after Bolt's success with Marcus Antonius (in Latin: M·ANTONIVS·M·F·M·N ( c January 14 83 BC&ndash August 1, 30 BC known in English as Mark Julius Caesar is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1599 Antony and Cleopatra is a Tragedy by William Shakespeare. It was first printed in the First Folio of 1623

Charlton Heston as Mark Antony in Julius Caesar, 1950

Hollywood

Heston earned recognition for his appearance in his first professional movie, Dark City, a 1950 film noir. Julius Caesar (1950 is a film adaptation of the Shakespeare play Julius Caesar. Dark City is a 1950 Film noir. The casting of Charlton Heston —in his first film appearance—as a petty hood is unusual in light Film noir is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize moral ambiguity and sexual motivation His breakthrough came when Cecil B. DeMille cast him as a circus manager in The Greatest Show on Earth, which was named by the Motion Picture Academy as the best picture of 1952. Cecil Blount DeMille ( August 12, 1881 – January 21, 1959) was an Academy Award -winning American Film director The Greatest Show on Earth is a 1952 Drama film set in the Ringling Bros Heston was Billy Wilder's first choice to play Sefton in Stalag 17 in 1953. Billy Wilder ( June 22, 1906 – March 27, 2002) was an Austrian born Jewish - American Journalist This article is about the film of this title For the punk band see Stalag 17 (band. However, the role was given to William Holden, who won an Oscar for it. William Holden ( April 17, 1918 &ndash November 12, 1981) was an Academy Award -winning American film Actor Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS to recognize Heston became an icon for portraying Moses in The Ten Commandments, reportedly being chosen by director Cecil B. Moses ( Latin: Moyses,; Greek: grc Mωυσής in both the Septuagint and the New Testament; Arabic: ar موسىٰ The Ten Commandments is a 1956 motion picture that Dramatized the Biblical story of Moses, an adopted Egyptian DeMille because he thought the muscular, 6 ft 3 in, square jawed Heston bore an uncanny resemblance to Michelangelo's statue of Moses. Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni Two biographies were published of him during his lifetime One of them by Giorgio Vasari, proposed that he was the pinnacle of all The Moses is a Marble sculpture by Michelangelo Buonarroti 1513-1515 which depicts the Biblical figure Moses.

From the film trailer of Ben-Hur

After Marlon Brando, Burt Lancaster and Rock Hudson^[9] turned down the title role of Ben-Hur (1959), Heston accepted the role, going on to win the Academy Award for Best Actor, one of the unprecedented eleven Oscars the film earned. Ben-Hur (or Benhur is a 1959 Movie directed by William Wyler, and is the third film version of Lew Wallace 's novel Ben-Hur Marlon Brando Jr (April 3 1924 – July 1 2004 was an Academy Award -winning American Actor, whose body of work spanned over half a century Burton Stephen "Burt" Lancaster ( 2 November &ndash 20 October) was an American film Actor and star noted for his athletic physique Rock Hudson (November 17 1925 &ndash October 2 1985 was an American Film and Television Actor, recognised as a romantic leading man during Ben-Hur (or Benhur is a 1959 Movie directed by William Wyler, and is the third film version of Lew Wallace 's novel Ben-Hur Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS to recognize (In 1995, Heston denied a claim by Ben-Hur screenwriter Gore Vidal that there is a gay subtext to the film. Gore Vidal (born October 3 1925 ˌgɔər vɪˈdɑːl or /vɪˈdæl/ is an American Novelist, Screenwriter, Playwright, Vidal says he wrote the script with such an implication, but never mentioned the subtext to Heston [though he did so to Stephen Boyd, who played Ben-Hur's friend Messala]. Stephen Boyd ( July 4, 1931 &ndash June 2, 1977) born William Millar, was an Irish -born actor from Glengormley Heston states that after writing one scene, Vidal was dismissed from the project and the homosexuality story is a reworking by Vidal of a well-known and possibly apocryphal story involving Laurence Olivier's portrayal of Iago to an unwitting Ralph Richardson as Othello. Laurence Kerr Olivier Baron Iago is a Fictional character in William Shakespeare 's play Othello. Sir Ralph David Richardson ( 19 December 1902 &ndash 10 October 1983) was an English Actor, one of a group of theatrical )^[10][11] After Moses and Ben-Hur, Heston was identified with Biblical epics more than any other actor. He voiced the role of a cartoon version of the Lew Wallace novel in 2003. Lewis "Lew" Wallace ( April 10, 1827 February 15, 1905) was a lawyer governor Union general in the American Civil Ben-Hur A Tale of the Christ is a novel by Lew Wallace published on November 12, 1880 by Harper & Brothers.

Heston went on to leading roles in a number of fictional and historical epics— El Cid (1961), 55 Days at Peking (1963), as Michelangelo in The Agony and the Ecstasy (1965), and Khartoum (1966). El Cid is a 1961 historical Epic film made by Samuel Bronston Productions in association with The Rank Organisation 55 Days at Peking is a 1963 historical Epic film made by Samuel Bronston Productions and released by Allied Artists Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni Two biographies were published of him during his lifetime One of them by Giorgio Vasari, proposed that he was the pinnacle of all The Agony and the Ecstasy is a 1965 film directed by Carol Reed, starring Charlton Heston as Michelangelo and Rex Harrison Khartoum is a 1966 film written by Robert Ardrey and directed by Basil Dearden.

Heston became president of the Screen Actors Guild in 1965. The Screen Actors Guild ( SAG) is an American labor union representing over 120000 Film and television principal performers and background He remained in the position until 1971, the second longest tenure to date in that office. ^[12]

He starred in the hugely successful Planet of the Apes in 1968. Planet of the Apes is a 1968 Science fiction / thriller film directed by Franklin J Heston portrayed Mark Antony again in a Technicolor film version of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar in 1970. Marcus Antonius (in Latin: M·ANTONIVS·M·F·M·N ( c January 14 83 BC&ndash August 1, 30 BC known in English as Mark Technicolor is the trademark for a series of color film processes pioneered by Technicolor Motion Picture Corporation His co-stars in the nearly all-star cast included Jason Robards as Brutus, Richard Chamberlain as Octavius, Robert Vaughn as Casca, and English actors Richard Johnson as Cassius, John Gielgud as Caesar, and Diana Rigg as Portia. Jason Nelson Robards Jr, ( July 26, 1922 &ndash December 26, 2000) was an American Actor. Robert Francis Vaughn (born November 22, 1932) is an American Academy Award -nominated actor noted for stage, Film Richard Johnson (born July 30 1927) is an English Actor, writer and producer who starred in several British films of the 1960s and has also Sir Arthur John Gielgud, OM, CH ( 14 April, 1904 – 21 May 2000) known as Sir John Gielgud, was an Dame Enid Diana Elizabeth Rigg DBE (born 20 July 1938 is an English actress. He starred in the science fiction film, The Omega Man in 1971. The Omega Man (1971 directed by Boris Sagal, is a Science fiction film, featuring Charlton Heston, based on the novel I Am Legend Although critically panned, the film is now considered a classic of apocalyptic horror. Heston made his directorial debut, and starred, as Mark Antony in an adaptation of the William Shakespeare play he performed earlier in his theater career, Antony and Cleopatra in 1972. William Shakespeare ( baptised Antony and Cleopatra is a 1972 Film adaptation of the play of the same name by William Shakespeare made by the Rank Organisation Hildegarde Neil was Cleopatra, and English actor Eric Porter was Enobarbus. Eric Richard Porter (8 April 1928 - 15 May 1995 was a distinguished English actor who appeared on stage as well as in cinema and television After receiving scathing reviews, the film never went to theaters, and rarely turns up on television. It has not been released on DVD. He subsequently starred in successful films such as Soylent Green (1973), and Earthquake (1974). Soylent Green " in popular culture the section "Cultural impact" was created as a "catch-all" of the cultural references to Earthquake is a 1974 action adventure / disaster / Thriller film that achieved huge box-office success continuing the Disaster film

Beginning with playing Cardinal Richelieu in The Three Musketeers in 1973, Heston was seen in an increasing number of supporting roles, cameos and theater. This article is about a cardinal For information on the Russian also called The Red Eminence, see Mikhail Andreyevich Suslov. The Three Musketeers is a 1973 film based on the novel by Alexandre Dumas père. He starred in his only prime-time stint on series television with the soap, The Colbys from 1985 to 1987. The Colbys (originally titled Dynasty II The Colbys) is an American Prime time Soap opera which aired on ABC With his son Fraser, he produced and starred in several TV movies, including remakes of Treasure Island and A Man For All Seasons. Treasure Island ( 1990) is a movie adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson ’s famous 1883 novel Treasure Island. Heston appeared in a short series of videos on the A&E cable network reading passages from the King James Version of the Bible, called Charlton Heston Presents the Bible in 1992. It was filmed in the Middle East and received excellent reviews, achieving great success on video and DVD. He appeared in a cameo role in Wayne's World 2 in 1993 (in a scene wherein main character Wayne Campbell (Mike Myers) requests that a small role be filled by a better actor). Wayne's World 2 is a 1993 Comedy film starring Mike Myers and Dana Carvey as hosts of a cable access television show Michael John "Mike" Myers (born May 25, 1963) is a Canadian Actor, Comedian, Screenwriter and Film producer That same year, he hosted Saturday Night Live. Saturday Night Live ( SNL) is a weekly late-night 90-minute American Sketch comedy / Variety show based in New York City He had cameos in the films Hamlet, Tombstone and True Lies. Hamlet is a 1996 film version of William Shakespeare 's classic play of the same name, adapted and directed by Kenneth Branagh Tombstone is a 1993 Western movie written by Kevin Jarre and directed by its star Kurt Russell, with credited director George P For the video game see True Lies (video game. True Lies is a 1994 action - Comedy film. He especially worked at the Los Angeles Music Center where he appeared in such plays as Detective Story, The Caine Mutiny Court Martial, and as Sherlock Holmes in The Crucifer of Blood opposite Jeremy Brett as Dr. Watson, later winning acclaim for his interpretation of the famous detective in a television version. The Music Center (officially named the Performing Arts Center of Los Angeles County) is one of the three largest performing arts centers in the nation Detective Story ( 1951) is a Film noir which tells the story of one day in the lives of the various people who populate a police detective squad The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial is a two-act play by Herman Wouk, which he adapted from his own Novel, The Caine Mutiny. Sherlock Holmes is a famous fictional detective of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries who first appeared in Publication in 1887 The Crucifer of Blood is a play by Paul Giovanni that is adapted from the Arthur Conan Doyle story The Sign of Four. Jeremy Brett (3 November 1933 – 12 September 1995 born Peter Jeremy William Huggins, was an English Actor famous among other things for his Heston made a cameo appearance as an elderly, dying chimpanzee in Tim Burton's remake of Planet of the Apes in 2001. Timothy "Tim" William Burton (born August 25 1958 is an American Film director, Screenwriter and Set designer, notable for the quirky Planet of the Apes is a 2001 Science fiction film and Remake of the 1968 film of the same name. Heston's last film role was as the infamous Nazi doctor Josef Mengele in My Father, Rua Alguem 5555, which had limited release (mainly to festivals) in 2003. Dr Josef Mengele ( March 16, 1911 – February 7, 1979) was a German SS officer and a Physician in the ^[13]

Heston played the title role in Mister Roberts three times and cited it as one of his favorite roles. He tried unsuccessfully to revive and direct the show with Tom Selleck in the title role in the early 90s. Thomas William Selleck (born January 29 1945 in Detroit, Michigan) is an American Actor, Screenwriter and ^[14]

Political activism

Charlton Heston (left) with Marlon Brando, James Baldwin, and Harry Belafonte at Civil Rights March 1963. Marlon Brando Jr (April 3 1924 – July 1 2004 was an Academy Award -winning American Actor, whose body of work spanned over half a century James Arthur Baldwin ( August 2, 1924 – November 30, 1987) was an American Novelist, Writer, Playwright Harold George Belafonte Jr (born March 1 1927 is an American musician actor and Social activist.

Heston with United States President Ronald Reagan during a meeting for the Presidential Task Force on the Arts and Humanities in the White House Cabinet Room, 1981. The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by

Heston campaigned for Presidential candidate Adlai Stevenson in 1956 and John F. Kennedy in 1960. This is about the mid-20th-century politician and diplomat for other American politicians so named see Adlai Stevenson (disambiguation. John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy (May 29 1917&ndashNovember 22 1963 often referred to by his initials JFK, was the thirty-fifth President of ^[15] Reportedly when an Oklahoma movie theater premiering his movie El Cid was segregated, he joined a picket line outside in 1961. ^[16] Heston makes no reference to this in his autobiography, but describes traveling to Oklahoma City to picket segregated restaurants, much to the chagrin of Allied Artists, the producers of El Cid. Oklahoma City is the capital and largest city of the US state of Oklahoma. Allied Artists Pictures Corporation started life as a Subsidiary of Monogram Pictures in 1946 as an outlet for films with bigger names and higher budgets than ^[17] During the civil rights march held in Washington, D.C. in 1963, he accompanied Martin Luther King Jr. In later speeches, Heston said he helped the civil rights cause, "long before Hollywood found it fashionable. Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D Martin Luther King Jr ( January 15, 1929 April 4, 1968) was an American clergyman, Activist and prominent leader "^[18]

Following the assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy in 1968, Heston and actors Gregory Peck, Kirk Douglas and James Stewart issued a statement calling for support of President Johnson's Gun Control Act of 1968. Robert Francis "Bobby" Kennedy (November 20 1925 – June 6 1968 also called RFK, was the United States Attorney General from 1961 to 1964 and a Gregory Peck (April 5 1916 &ndash June 12 2003 was an Academy Award -winning and four-time Golden Globe Award-winning American Film Kirk Douglas (born Issur Danielovitch; December 9, James Maitland Stewart (20 May 1908 – 2 July 1997 popularly known as Jimmy Stewart, was an American Film and stage Actor The Gun Control Act of 1968, Pub L No 90-618 82 Stat 1213 (also known as GCA or GCA68, and codified as Chapter 44 of Title 18 United States Code ^[19][20] He opposed the Vietnam War and in 1969 was approached by the Democratic party to run for the U. The Vietnam War, also known as the Second Indochina War, or the Vietnam Conflict, occurred in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia S. Senate. He agonized over the decision and ultimately determined he could never give up acting. ^[21] He is reported to have voted for Richard Nixon in 1972, though Nixon is unmentioned in his autobiography. ^[22]

By the 1980s, Heston opposed affirmative action, supported gun rights and changed his political affiliation from Democratic to Republican. Affirmative action in the United States|Employment equity (Canada|Reservation in India|Numerus clausus The term affirmative action describes many policies aimed at a historically The right to keep and bear arms, RKBA, or right to bear arms is the concept that people individually or collectively have a right to Weapons Today this ^[23] He campaigned for Republicans and Republican Presidents Ronald Reagan,^[24] George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush. George Herbert Walker Bush (born June 12 1924 served as the forty-first President of the United States from 1989 to 1993 George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. ^[25]

Heston resigned from Actors Equity, claiming the union's refusal to allow a white actor to play a Eurasian role in "Miss Saigon" was "obscenely racist. Template talkInfobox Union for usage --> The Actors' Equity Association (AEA commonly referred to as Actors' Equity Miss Saigon is a West End musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil, with lyrics by Boublil "^[9] He said CNN's telecasts from Baghdad were "sowing doubts" about the allied effort in the 1990-91 Gulf War. Cable News Network, usually referred to by its Initialism CNN, is a major English language Television network founded in 1980 by Ted Turner ^[9]

At a Time Warner stockholders meeting, he castigated the company for releasing an Ice-T album which included the song "Cop Killer", which depicted the killing of police officers. Time Warner Inc ( is the world's largest media and entertainment conglomerate, headquartered in New York City. ^[26]

While filming The Savage, he was initiated by blood into the Miniconjou Sioux tribe but claimed no natural American Indian heritage. Miniconjou are a Native American people constituting a subdivision of the Lakota Sioux, who formerly inhabited an area from the Black Hills in South Sioux (pronounced SUE are a Native American and First Nations people Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples from the regions of North America now encompassed by the continental United States He claimed to be "native American" to reclaim the term from exclusion to American Indians. ^[27]

In a 1997 speech, he rhetorically deplored a culture war he said was being conducted by a generation of media, educators, entertainers, and politicians against:

". . . the God fearing, law-abiding, Caucasian, middle- class Protestant-or even worse, evangelical Christian, Midwestern or Southern- or even worse, rural, apparently straight-or even worse, admitted heterosexuals, gun-owning-or even worse, NRA-card-carrying, average working stiff-or even worse, male working stiff-because, not only don’t you count, you are a down-right obstacle to social progress. Your voice deserves a lower decibel level, your opinion is less enlightened, your media access is insignificant, and frankly, mister, you need to wake up, wise up, and learn a little something from your new-America and until you do, would you mind shutting up?"^[28]

In an address to students at Harvard Law School entitled Winning the Cultural War, Heston said, "If Americans believed in political correctness, we'd still be King George's boys - subjects bound to the British crown. Harvard Law School (also known as Harvard Law or HLS) is one of the professional Graduate schools of Harvard University. Political correctness (adjectivally politically correct; both forms commonly abbreviated to PC) is a term applied to Language, ideas policies or behavior George III (George William Frederick 4 June 1738 George III's long reign was marked by a series of military conflicts involving his kingdom much of the rest of Europe and places "^[29] He went on:

"The Constitution was handed down to guide us by a bunch of wise old dead white guys who invented our country! Now some flinch when I say that. The Constitution of the United States of America is the supreme Law of the United States. The Founding Fathers of the United States are the Political leaders who signed the Declaration of Independence or otherwise participated in the Why! Its true-they were white guys! So were most of the guys that died in Lincoln’s name opposing slavery in the 1860s. So why should I be ashamed of white guys? Why is “Hispanic Pride” or “Black Pride” a good thing, while “White Pride” conjures shaven heads and white hoods? Why was the Million Man March on Washington celebrated by many as progress, while the Promise Keepers March on Washington was greeted with suspicion and ridicule? I’ll tell you why, Cultural warfare!"

He later stated, "Political correctness is tyranny with manners. Black pride is a slogan used primarily in the United States to agitate for a black African-American racial identity and is closely aligned with Black White pride is a slogan used primarily in the United States and Canada to agitate for a white European racial identity and is The Million Man March was a Political march convened by Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan in Washington DC on October 16 Promise Keepers is an international conservative Christian organization for men, based in Denver, Colorado, United States, self-described "^[30]

Heston accepting a presentation rifle at 2000 NRA convention with the now well-known exclamation "From my cold, dead hands!"

In a speech to the National Press Club in 1997, Heston said, "Now, I doubt any of you would prefer a rolled up newspaper as a weapon against a dictator or a criminal intruder. "I'll give you my gun when you take it from my cold dead hands!" is a Slogan popularized by the National Rifle Association (NRA on a series of Bumper " ^[31]

Heston was the president and spokesman of the NRA from 1998 until he resigned in 2003. The National Rifle Association, or NRA, is a non-profit ( 501(c(4) group dedicated to the protection of the Second Amendment of the At the 2000 NRA convention, he raised a rifle over his head and declared that a potential Al Gore administration would take away his Second Amendment rights "from my cold, dead hands. Albert Arnold Gore Jr (born March 31 1948 is an American environmental Activist, author Businessperson, former Politician, and former The Second Amendment (Amendment II to the United States Constitution is a part of the United States Bill of Rights that protects the pre-existing "I'll give you my gun when you take it from my cold dead hands!" is a Slogan popularized by the National Rifle Association (NRA on a series of Bumper "^[32] In announcing his resignation in 2003, he again raised a rifle over his head, repeating the five famous words of his 2000 speech. ^[33] He was an honorary life member. ^[33]

Michael Moore interviewed Heston in his home for his documentary film Bowling for Columbine in 2002, asking him about an NRA meeting held shortly after the Columbine high school massacre, in Denver, Colorado in April 1999. Michael Francis Moore (born April 23 1954 is an Academy Award -winning American filmmaker author and liberal Political commentator. Documentary film is a broad category of visual expression that is based on the attempt in one fashion or another to " Document " reality Bowling for Columbine is a 2002 American Documentary film written directed produced by and starring Michael Moore. See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. The Columbine High School massacre occurred on Tuesday April 20 1999 at Columbine High School in Columbine in unincorporated Jefferson County, The City and County of Denver (pronounced /ˈdɛnvɚ/ is the Capital and the most populous city of Colorado, in the United States The State of Colorado ( or chiefly by nonresidents) is a state located in the Rocky Mountain region of the United States of America. Moore criticized Heston for the perceived thoughtlessness in the timing and location of the meeting. Heston, on-camera, excused himself and walked out. Moore was later criticized for his perceived ambush. ^[34][35][36]

Actor George Clooney joked about Heston's failing health at a 2003 National Board of Review award ceremony, saying that Heston "announced again today that he is suffering from Alzheimer's. George Timothy Clooney (born May 6 1961 is an Academy Award - and Golden Globe award-winning American actor director, producer, The National Board of Review of Motion Pictures was founded in 1909 in New York City, just 13 years after the birth of cinema, to protest New York City Mayor Alzheimer's disease ( AD) also called Alzheimer disease or simply Alzheimer's, is the most common form of Dementia. " When questioned, Clooney said Heston deserved whatever was said about him for his involvement with the NRA. ^[37] Heston responded by saying Clooney lacked class, and said he felt sorry for Clooney, as Clooney had as much of a chance of developing Alzheimer's as anyone else. ^[38]

Heston opposed abortion and gave the introduction to a 1987 pro-life documentary by Bernard Nathanson called Eclipse of Reason which focuses on late-term abortions. An Year 1987 ( MCMLXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar) Overview See also Ethical aspects of abortion Pro-life individuals generally believe that human life should be valued either from conception or Implantation Bernard Nathanson (born July 31, 1926, in New York) is an American Medical doctor and Pro-life activist from New York. Heston served on the Advisory Board of Accuracy in Media, a conservative media watchdog group founded by Reed Irvine. Accuracy In Media ( AIM) is an American organization which monitors the News media in the United States. Reed Irvine ( September 29, 1922 – November 16, 2004) was an Economist turned Media watchdog with known conservative ^[39]

Illness and death

Shortly after he was elected President of the National Rifle Association in 1998, Heston had a hip replacement. The National Rifle Association, or NRA, is a non-profit ( 501(c(4) group dedicated to the protection of the Second Amendment of the Hip replacement, also hip Arthroplasty, is a surgical procedure in which the Hip joint is replaced by a prosthetic implant. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer later that year. Following a course of radiation treatment, the cancer went into remission. Radiation therapy (or radiotherapy) is the medical use of Ionizing radiation as part of Cancer treatment to control Malignant Remission is the state of absence of Disease activity in patients with known Chronic illness. Heston publicly announced he was diagnosed with symptoms consistent with Alzheimer's disease in August 2002. Alzheimer's disease ( AD) also called Alzheimer disease or simply Alzheimer's, is the most common form of Dementia. ^[40] He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom at the White House from President George W. Bush in July 2003. The Presidential Medal of Freedom is a decoration bestowed by the President of the United States and is along with the equivalent Congressional Gold Medal bestowed See also Executive Office of the President of the United States The White House, formerly known as the Executive Mansion, is the Official residence George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. In March 2005, various newspapers reported that family and friends were shocked by the progression of his illness, and that he was sometimes unable to get out of bed. A rumor circulated in August 2005 that Heston was hospitalized at a Los Angeles hospital with pneumonia, but this was never confirmed. Pneumonia is an inflammatory illness of the Lung. Frequently it is described as lung Parenchyma / alveolar inflammation and abnormal Various news sources reported in April 2006 that Heston's illness was at an advanced stage and his family was worried he might not survive the year.

Heston died at his home in Beverly Hills, California on Saturday, April 5, 2008, with Lydia, his wife of 64 years, by his side. Events 456 - St Patrick returns to Ireland as a missionary bishop 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common He is survived by his son, Fraser Clarke Heston, and an adopted daughter, Holly Ann Heston. Fraser Clarke Heston (born February 12, 1955) is an American Screenwriter, Film producer and director. The cause of death was pneumonia. ^[41][42][43] Heston's family released a statement, reading, "Charlton Heston was seen by the world as larger than life. He was known for his chiselled jaw, broad shoulders and resonating voice, and, of course, for the roles he played. No one could ask for a fuller life than his. No man could have given more to his family, to his profession and to his country. "^[44] Early tributes came in from leading figures; President George W. Bush called Heston "man of character and integrity, with a big heart," adding, "He served his country during World War II, marched in the civil rights movement, led a labor union and vigorously defended Americans’ Second Amendment rights [to bear arms]. George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. "^[44] Former First Lady Nancy Reagan, wife of former President Ronald Reagan (who died in 2004 from complications of Alzheimer's disease) said that she was "heartbroken" over Heston's death and released a statement, reading, "I will never forget Chuck as a hero on the big screen in the roles he played, but more importantly I considered him a hero in life for the many times that he stepped up to support Ronnie in whatever he was doing. Nancy Davis Reagan (born Anne Frances Robbins on July 6 1921 is the widow of former United States President Ronald Reagan and served as an influential "^[44]

Heston's funeral was held a week later on April 12, 2008 in a ceremony which was attended by 250 people including Nancy Reagan and Hollywood stars such as California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Olivia de Havilland, Keith Carradine, Pat Boone, Tom Selleck, Oliver Stone and Rob Reiner. Events 467 - Anthemius is elevated to Emperor of the Western Roman Empire. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Nancy Davis Reagan (born Anne Frances Robbins on July 6 1921 is the widow of former United States President Ronald Reagan and served as an influential Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger ( German ˌaɐnɔlt aloʏs ˈʃvaɐtsənɛɡɐ born July 30 1947 is an Austrian American Bodybuilder, Actor Olivia Mary de Havilland (born July 1, 1916) is a two-time Academy Award -winning actress. Keith Ian Carradine (born August 8, 1949) is an American Academy Award -winning Actor and Songwriter, born into a family Charles Eugene "Pat" Boone (born June 1 1934) is an American Singer whose smooth style made him a popular performer of the 1950s Thomas William Selleck (born January 29 1945 in Detroit, Michigan) is an American Actor, Screenwriter and William Oliver Stone (born 15 September) is an American Film director and Screenwriter. Robert "Rob" Reiner (born March 6, 1947) is an American Actor, director, producer, Writer, and ^[45][46]

The handprints of Charlton Heston in front of The Great Movie Ride at Walt Disney World's Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park. The Great Movie Ride is an attraction at Walt Disney World 's Disney's Hollywood Studios Theme park. Walt Disney World Resort is the most visited and largest recreational resort in the world containing four Theme parks two Water parks twenty-three themed hotels Disney's Hollywood Studios is a Theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort.

Filmography

For a complete filmography, see Charlton Heston filmography

Bibliography

Heston's books include autobiographies and religious books:

• The Actor's Life (ISBN 0-671-83016-3)
• In the Arena: An Autobiography (ISBN 1-57297-267-X)
• The Courage to be Free (ISBN 978-0970368805)
• Beijing Diary (ISBN 0-671-68706-9)
• To Be a Man: Letters to My Grandson (ISBN 0-7432-1311-4)
• Charlton Heston Presents the Bible (ISBN 1-57719-270-2)
• Charlton Heston's Hollywood: 50 Years in American Film with Jean-Pierre Isbouts (ISBN 1-57719-357-1)

References

External links

• Charlton Heston at Find A Grave
• Charlton Heston at the Internet Broadway Database
• Charlton Heston at the Internet Movie Database
• Charlton Heston at TV.com
• Charlton Heston at Yahoo! Movies

• Hollywood.com entry
• Reel Classics
• BBC News Obituary
• Obituary and public tribute
• 'From Our Files: An Interview with Charlton Heston' by Phil Elderkin, The Christian Science Monitor, November 4, 1959