Charlton Heston

Charlton Heston

Born October 04, 1923 (Age: 102) Wilmette, Illinois, USA

Biography

Charlton Heston was an American actor renowned for his towering screen presence and roles in some of Hollywood’s most famous epics. Born John Charles Carter on October 4, 1923, 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.
Charlton Heston was an American actor renowned for his towering screen presence and roles in some of Hollywood’s most famous epics. Born John Charles Carter on October 4, 1923, 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.
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Filmography

Sword-and-Sandal: The Story of the Period Epic

Sword-and-Sandal: The Story of the Period Epic

2019 as Self - Actor (archive footage) Age: 95
Emergency: Donald Trump’s "Touch of Evil"

Emergency: Donald Trump’s "Touch of Evil"

2019 as (archive footage) Age: 95
No Image

Children of the Civil Rights

2015 as Self (archival footage) Age: 91
Hollywood sul Tevere

Hollywood sul Tevere

2009 as Age: 85
AFI: 100 Years... 100 Movies... 10th Anniversary Edition

AFI: 100 Years... 100 Movies... 10th Anniversary Edition

2007 as Self (archive footage) Age: 83
De Madrid a la Luna

De Madrid a la Luna

2006 as Self (archive footage) Age: 83
Sam Peckinpah's West: Legacy of a Hollywood Renegade

Sam Peckinpah's West: Legacy of a Hollywood Renegade

2004 as Self (archive footage) Age: 80
Remembering Reagan at His Ranch

Remembering Reagan at His Ranch

2004 as Host Age: 80
The Face of Evil: Reinhard Heydrich

The Face of Evil: Reinhard Heydrich

2002 as Narrator (voice) Age: 79
Bowling for Columbine

Bowling for Columbine

2002 as Self - NRA President Age: 79
The Making of 'Tombstone'

The Making of 'Tombstone'

2002 as Self Age: 78
The Making of Midway

The Making of Midway

2001 as Self Age: 77
Planet of the Apes

Planet of the Apes

2001 as Zaius (uncredited) Age: 77
Cats & Dogs

Cats & Dogs

2001 as The Mastiff (voice) Age: 77
No Image

The Gun Deadlock

2001 as Self Age: 77
Town & Country

Town & Country

2001 as Mr. Clayborne Age: 77
Hollywood at Your Feet: The Story of the Chinese Theatre Footprints

Hollywood at Your Feet: The Story of the Chinese Theatre Footprints

2000 as Self Age: 76
Any Given Sunday

Any Given Sunday

1999 as AFFA Football Commissioner Age: 76
Yesterday's Tomorrows

Yesterday's Tomorrows

1999 as Self Age: 75
No Image

Private Screenings: Charlton Heston

1998 as Self Age: 75
Gideon

Gideon

1998 as Addison Sinclair Age: 75
Behind the Planet of the Apes

Behind the Planet of the Apes

1998 as Self - 'Taylor' Age: 74
Alaska: Spirit of the Wild

Alaska: Spirit of the Wild

1998 as Narrator (voice) Age: 74
Armageddon

Armageddon

1998 as Narration (voice) Age: 74
Gary Cooper: The Face of a Hero

Gary Cooper: The Face of a Hero

1998 as Self Age: 74
Charlton Heston Presents the Bible: Genesis

Charlton Heston Presents the Bible: Genesis

1997 as Self - Host Age: 74
Big Guns Talk: The Story of the Western

Big Guns Talk: The Story of the Western

1997 as Self Age: 73
Hercules

Hercules

1997 as Narrator (voice) Age: 73
Barbara Stanwyck: Straight Down the Line

Barbara Stanwyck: Straight Down the Line

1997 as Self Age: 73
Charlton Heston Presents the Bible

Charlton Heston Presents the Bible

1997 as Self - Narrator Age: 73
Hamlet

Hamlet

1996 as Player King Age: 73
Love in Hollywood

Love in Hollywood

1996 as Self Age: 73
Alaska

Alaska

1996 as Perry Age: 72
Shirley Maclaine: Kicking Up Her Heels

Shirley Maclaine: Kicking Up Her Heels

1996 as Self Age: 72
No Image

Andersonville Diaries

1996 as Narrator Age: 72
The Mysterious Origins of Man

The Mysterious Origins of Man

1996 as Self - Host Age: 72
The Lord Protector

The Lord Protector

1996 as Narrator (voice) Age: 72
In the Mouth of Madness

In the Mouth of Madness

1995 as Jackson Harglow Age: 71
True Lies

True Lies

1994 as Spencer Trilby Age: 70
Masters of Illusion: The Wizards of Special Effects

Masters of Illusion: The Wizards of Special Effects

1994 as Self Age: 70
A Century of Cinema

A Century of Cinema

1994 as Self Age: 70
The Legacy of Malthus

The Legacy of Malthus

1994 as Self (Population Institute, 1993) (archive footage) Age: 70
Tombstone

Tombstone

1993 as Henry Hooker Age: 70
Wayne's World 2

Wayne's World 2

1993 as Good Actor Age: 70
The Mystery of the Sphinx

The Mystery of the Sphinx

1993 as Narrator Age: 70
Charlton Heston Presents The Bible: The Story of Moses

Charlton Heston Presents The Bible: The Story of Moses

1993 as Self - Host Age: 69
Charlton Heston Presents the Bible: Jesus of Nazareth

Charlton Heston Presents the Bible: Jesus of Nazareth

1993 as Self - Host Age: 69
Noël

Noël

1992 as Narrator Age: 69
Solar Crisis

Solar Crisis

1992 as Adm. "Skeet" Kelso Age: 68
Crash Landing: The Rescue of Flight 232

Crash Landing: The Rescue of Flight 232

1992 as Captain Al Haynes Age: 68
Symphony for the Spire

Symphony for the Spire

1992 as Age: 68
The Crucifer of Blood

The Crucifer of Blood

1991 as Sherlock Holmes Age: 68
No Image

Cults: Saying No Under Pressure

1991 as Narrator Age: 67
Air Force One: The Planes and the Presidents

Air Force One: The Planes and the Presidents

1991 as Host and Narrator Age: 67
Almost an Angel

Almost an Angel

1990 as God Age: 67
A Night on Mount Edna

A Night on Mount Edna

1990 as Self Age: 67
The Little Kidnappers

The Little Kidnappers

1990 as James MacKenzie Age: 66
No Image

With Orson Welles: Stories from a Life in Film

1990 as Self Age: 66
Treasure Island

Treasure Island

1990 as Long John Silver Age: 66
Original Sin

Original Sin

1989 as Louis Mancini Age: 65
Call from Space

Call from Space

1989 as Alien (voice) Age: 65
A Man for All Seasons

A Man for All Seasons

1988 as Sir Thomas More Age: 65
Proud Men

Proud Men

1987 as Charley MacLeod Sr. Age: 63
No Image

Andrew Weyth, The Helga Pictures

1987 as Self - Host Age: 63
Happy 100th Birthday, Hollywood

Happy 100th Birthday, Hollywood

1987 as Self Age: 63
Eclipse of Reason

Eclipse of Reason

1987 as Narrator Age: 63
Barry Norman in Celebrity City

Barry Norman in Celebrity City

1982 as Self Age: 58
The Orson Welles Story

The Orson Welles Story

1982 as Self Age: 58
No Image

This Is Your Life: 30th Anniversary Special

1981 as Self Age: 57
The Awakening

The Awakening

1980 as Matthew Corbeck Age: 56
The Mountain Men

The Mountain Men

1980 as Bill Tyler Age: 56
Gray Lady Down

Gray Lady Down

1978 as Captain Paul Blanchard Age: 54
Energy: A National Issue

Energy: A National Issue

1977 as Narrator (voice) Age: 54
Two-Minute Warning

Two-Minute Warning

1976 as Capt. Peter Holly Age: 53
Midway

Midway

1976 as Capt. Matthew Garth Age: 52
Earthquake

Earthquake

1974 as Stewart Graff Age: 51
The Four Musketeers

The Four Musketeers

1974 as Cardinal Richelieu Age: 51
Airport 1975

Airport 1975

1974 as Alan Murdock Age: 51
The Three Musketeers

The Three Musketeers

1973 as Cardinal Richelieu Age: 50
Soylent Green

Soylent Green

1973 as Detective Robert Thorn Age: 49
A Look at the World of 'Soylent Green'

A Look at the World of 'Soylent Green'

1973 as Self Age: 49
The Call of the Wild

The Call of the Wild

1972 as John Thornton Age: 49
Skyjacked

Skyjacked

1972 as Capt. Henry 'Hank' O'Hara Age: 48
Antony and Cleopatra

Antony and Cleopatra

1972 as Marc Antony Age: 48
The Special London Bridge Special

The Special London Bridge Special

1972 as Tennis Player Age: 48
Vietnam! Vietnam!

Vietnam! Vietnam!

1971 as Narrator (voice) Age: 47
The Omega Man

The Omega Man

1971 as Robert Neville Age: 47
The Last Man Alive: The Omega Man

The Last Man Alive: The Omega Man

1971 as Self - Narrator Age: 47
The Hawaiians

The Hawaiians

1970 as Whip Hoxworth Age: 46
Beneath the Planet of the Apes

Beneath the Planet of the Apes

1970 as Taylor Age: 46
Number One

Number One

1969 as Ron "Cat" Catlan Age: 45
Planet of the Apes

Planet of the Apes

1968 as George Taylor Age: 44
Elizabeth the Queen

Elizabeth the Queen

1968 as Lord Essex Age: 44
Rowan & Martin at the Movies

Rowan & Martin at the Movies

1968 as Self Age: 44
Planet of the Apes Test Reel

Planet of the Apes Test Reel

1966 as Thomas Age: 42
The War Lord

The War Lord

1965 as Chrysagon Age: 42
No Image

Night of the Dragon

1965 as Narrator Age: 42
The Agony and the Ecstasy

The Agony and the Ecstasy

1965 as Michelangelo Age: 41
Uncertain Verification

Uncertain Verification

1965 as (archive footage) Age: 41
The Greatest Story Ever Told

The Greatest Story Ever Told

1965 as John the Baptist Age: 41
Major Dundee

Major Dundee

1965 as Major Amos Charles Dundee Age: 41
No Image

The Patriots

1963 as Thomas Jefferson Age: 40
The Five Cities of June

The Five Cities of June

1963 as Narrator Age: 39
55 Days at Peking

55 Days at Peking

1963 as Maj. Matt Lewis Age: 39
No Image

Look at Life: The City's Built for Shooting

1963 as Self Age: 39
The Greatest All-Star Advertial of All Time

The Greatest All-Star Advertial of All Time

1963 as Self Age: 39
Diamond Head

Diamond Head

1962 as Richard 'King' Howland Age: 39
The Pigeon That Took Rome

The Pigeon That Took Rome

1962 as Captain Paul MacDougall / Benny the Snatch / Narrator Age: 38
El Cid

El Cid

1961 as El Cid Rodrigo de Vivar Age: 38
Ben-Hur

Ben-Hur

1959 as Judah Ben-Hur Age: 36
The Wreck of the Mary Deare

The Wreck of the Mary Deare

1959 as John Sands Age: 36
The Buccaneer

The Buccaneer

1958 as Gen. Andrew Jackson Age: 35
The Big Country

The Big Country

1958 as Steve Leech Age: 34
Touch of Evil

Touch of Evil

1958 as Ramon Miguel Vargas Age: 34
Fun in the Big Country

Fun in the Big Country

1958 as Self Age: 34
Three Violent People

Three Violent People

1956 as Colt Saunders Age: 33
The Ten Commandments

The Ten Commandments

1956 as Moses Age: 33
No Image

Forbidden Area

1956 as Col. Jesse Price Age: 33
Stars of Cabaret

Stars of Cabaret

1956 as Self (archive footage) Age: 32
Lucy Gallant

Lucy Gallant

1955 as Casey Cole Age: 32
The Private War of Major Benson

The Private War of Major Benson

1955 as Maj. Bernard R. 'Barney' Benson Age: 31
The Far Horizons

The Far Horizons

1955 as Lt. William Clark Age: 31
Secret of the Incas

Secret of the Incas

1954 as Harry Steel Age: 30
The Naked Jungle

The Naked Jungle

1954 as Christopher Leiningen Age: 30
Bad for Each Other

Bad for Each Other

1953 as Dr. Tom Owen Age: 30
No Image

Three Lives

1953 as Self Age: 29
Arrowhead

Arrowhead

1953 as Ed Bannon Age: 29
Pony Express

Pony Express

1953 as Captain William Frank 'Buffalo Bill' Cody Age: 29
The President's Lady

The President's Lady

1953 as Andrew Jackson Age: 29
Studio One: Wuthering Heights

Studio One: Wuthering Heights

1950 as Heathcliff Age: 27
Dark City

Dark City

1950 as Danny Haley Age: 27
The Taming of the Shrew

The Taming of the Shrew

1950 as Petruchio Age: 26
Julius Caesar

Julius Caesar

1950 as Mark Antony Age: 26
Peer Gynt

Peer Gynt

1941 as Peer Gynt Age: 17