The Great Charlton Heston Has Died

Charlton Heston (1923 – 2008)

Academy Award-winning American film actor Charlton Heston died Saturday night (April 5, 2008) at his home in Beverly Hills with his wife Lydia at his side.

Heston was born John Charles Carter on October 4, 1923, in Evanston, Illinois.

He made his film debut in an amateur production of Peer Gynt (1941) and, after air force war service and further theatre experience, his Broadway debut in Antony and Cleopatra (1947).

In Hollywood from 1950, he portrayed historic or heroic roles in such epics as The Ten Commandments (1956), Ben Hur (1959, winning the Oscar for Best Actor) and El Cid (1961). He displayed his potential as a character actor in Touch of Evil (1958), The War Lord (1965), and Will Penny (1967).

Frequently returning to the stage, he also directs for film and television, including Antony and Cleopatra (1972, film), and A Man for All Seasons (1988, television).

Later film appearances include The Awakening (1980), True Lies (1994), and Any Given Sunday (1999).

He has played a prominent role in U.S. arts, theatre, and film organizations, and served as president of the U.S. National Rifle Association (1998-2003).

Heston revealed in 2002 that he had symptoms consistent with Alzheimer's disease, saying, "I must reconcile courage and surrender in equal measure."

He received the inaugural Charlton Heston Prize in 2003, awarded by the American Film Institute to honor acting talent.

Heston married Lydia Marie Clarke in 1944. They have a son, Fraser Clarke Heston and an adopted daughter, Holly Ann Heston.