Charlton Heston

Background

John Charles Carter, better known as Charlton Heston, was a celebrated American actor and political activist whose talent and views against racism earned him a massive fanbase. He was a Libra, born on October 4, 1923, in Wilmette, Illinois. His parents were Lilla Baines and Russell Carter. He was of English and Scottish descent, and when he was 10, his parents got a divorce. Heston gained interest in the dramatic arts early in life. In high school, he played lead roles in plays and earned a scholarship to Northwestern University, which he attended from 1941 to 1943.

In 1948, Heston was offered a supporting role in the Broadway revival of “Antony and Cleopatra.” In 1950, he played Mark Antony in “Julius Caesar.” That year he landed his first lead role in “Dark City” (1950). In 1952, Heston earned his breakthrough as Brad Braden in “The Greatest Show on Earth,” named the ‘Best Picture of 1952’ by the Motion Picture Academy. In 1956, he played one of his most iconic roles as Moses in the biblical epic, “The Ten Commandments.” Heston earned his first Golden Globe nomination for the role. In 1959, he played the titular character in “Ben-Hur” and won a ‘Best Actor’ Academy Award for it. The actor appeared in more epics like “The Greatest Story Ever Told” (1965), where he played John the Baptist, “The Agony and the Ecstasy” (1965) as Michelangelo, and more. After that, he featured in “Planet of the Apes” (1968) and “The Omega Man” (1971). Heston made his directorial debut with “Antony and Cleopatra,” in which he also starred. He had a string of successful movies in the ‘70s, from “The Three Musketeers” (1973) to “Earthquake” (1974), and many more. From 1985 to 1987, Heston starred in the T.V. series “The Colbys.”

Heston had a very successful career. He had appeared in multiple films and T.V. productions, earning Hollywood’s reverence. As a political activist, he was very diligent. In March 1944, he married Lydia Clarke, and they had two children. Heston battled several health issues in his lifetime, from prostate cancer in 1998 to Alzheimer’s disease in 2002. He died on April 5, 2008, with his wife by his side, after living an amazing life. His legacy in film is immortal.