Actor Charlton Heston hailed as man of 'integrity'
Last Updated: Sunday, April 6, 2008 | 6:06 PM ET
CBC News
Actor Charlton Heston, who won an Academy Award in 1959 for his starring role in the film epic Ben-Hur, died Saturday at the age of 84.
Heston died at his home in Beverly Hills with his wife Lydia at his side. Family spokesperson Bill Powers declined to comment on the cause of death or provide further details.
Charlton Heston was known for portraying famous figures in history from Moses to Ben-Hur to Michelangelo.
(Uwe Lein/Associated Press)
"We knew him as an adoring husband, a kind and devoted father, and a gentle grandfather, with an infectious sense of humour. He served these far greater roles with tremendous faith, courage and dignity. He loved deeply, and he was deeply loved," said a statement from his family.
Former first lady Nancy Reagan says she was "heartbroken" to learn of Heston's death, adding that he was also a "hero" for helping support her late husband Ronald Reagan, whose friendship with Heston dates back to their early days as actors.
"He served his country during World War II, marched in the civil rights movement, led a labour union, and vigorously defended Americans' Second Amendment rights,'' said U.S. President George W. Bush in a statement released on Sunday.
"He was a man of character and integrity, with a big heart.''
Played Moses, Michelangelo
With his barrel chest and baritone voice, Heston portrayed Moses, Michelangelo, El Cid and other heroic figures in films of the 1950s and 1960s. His film credits include The Greatest Show on Earth, El Cid, The Greatest Story Ever Told, The Ten Commandments, and Planet of the Apes.
Born John Charles Carter in Evanston, Ill., on Oct. 4, 1923, Heston's early life was a tumultuous one as the family soon moved to rural Michigan, where his parents divorced. His mother remarried and the family moved again, this time to a Chicago suburb.
Heston created his professional name by pairing his mother's maiden name, Lila Charlton, with that of his stepfather, Chester Heston.
Actor Charlton Heston poses in character as Ben-Hur, a role for which he garnered the 1959 best actor Oscar.
(Associated Press)
The strapping, tall actor would often describe himself in his youth as a nerd: "shy, skinny, short, pimply, and ill-dressed," he explained in an interview. He started acting in high school plays and garnered a scholarship to Northwestern University.
During the Second World War, Heston served in the U.S. Army Air Corps and would return from battle to marry Lydia Clarke in 1944. The couple had two children and son Fraser Clarke would play the baby Moses in The Ten Commandments.
After doing some modelling, Heston decided to head to Hollywood.
His movie career bloomed after Cecil B. DeMille tapped him to portray the circus manager in The Greatest Show on Earth, which won the Oscar for best picture in 1952 and led Heston to the role of Moses in DeMille's The Ten Commandments, another Oscar winner.
His biggest star-making vehicle came in the form of a chariot in the 1959 epic Ben-Hur, which required the actor to learn how to drive a team of four horses for a chariot race scene. It's a role that won him a best actor Oscar.
| SELECTION OF HESTON FILMS |
|---|
| The Greatest Show on Earth, 1952 |
| The Ten Commandments, 1956 |
| Touch of Evil, 1958 |
| Ben-Hur, 1959 |
| El Cid, 1961 |
| The Greatest Story Ever Told, 1965 |
| The Agony and the Ecstasy, 1965 |
| Planet of the Apes, 1968 |
| Julius Caesar, 1970 |
| Soylent Green, 1973 |
| Airport 1975, 1974 |
| Gray Lady Down, 1978 |
| Tombstone, 1993 |
"Charioteering is a hard-won and largely useless skill, but I can't help taking pride in it,'' Heston would write years later in his autobiography.
Civil rights activist
A prominent civil rights activist during the 1950s, Heston was president of the Screen Actors Guild for six terms and received the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom, the country's highest civilian award.
Somewhere along the way, Heston — who attended the famous 1963 march in Washington D.C. where Martin Luther King gave his "I Have A Dream" speech — changed stripes.
In 1964, he converted to Conservatism and began lambasting affirmative action, feminism and big government.
He was also known as an outspoken opponent of gun control in the U.S., serving as president of the National Rifle Association lobby group from 1998-2003.
Heston is perhaps, also forever immortalized in the Michael Moore documentary Bowling for Columbine where the actor is filmed addressing a pro-gun convention and imploring anti-gun activists to take a gun from his "cold, dead hands."
In 2002, he revealed that he had symptoms consistent with Alzheimer's disease, saying, "I must reconcile courage and surrender in equal measure."
A private memorial service will be held. No further details were provided.
Along with his wife, Heston is survived by two children and three grandchildren.
With files from the Associated Press
