Charlton Heston

Charlton Heston (October 4, 1923 – April 5, 2008) was an American actor. He had many big roles, such as playing Moses in the movie The Ten Commandments, astronaut Colonel George Taylor in Planet of the Apes (1968) and Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970), the dystopian The Omega Man (1971), and Soylent Green (1973). Heston played Judah Ben-Hur in the Academy Award-winning Ben-Hur.

Early life
He was born in Wilmette, Illinois on October 4, 1923. He was raised in St. Helen, Michigan. Heston studied at New Trier High School and at Northwestern University.

Political views
Heston was also known for his politics. When he was young he held liberal views and marched with people such as Martin Luther King, Jr. for civil rights in the 1960s.

It was rare for a Hollywood actor to be for such causes at that time. Later in his life, he was for conservative causes such as gun rights. He was president of the National Rifle Association, a group that is for the rights of gun owners, from 1998 to 2003.

In July 2003, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom at the White House from President George W. Bush.

Death
Late in his life, Heston had Alzheimer's disease. He died of pneumonia, aged 84, in Beverly Hills, California.

Other websites

 * 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
 * Obituary and public tribute
 * 'From Our Files: An Interview with Charlton Heston' by Phil Elderkin, The Christian Science Monitor, November 4, 1959