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'''Charlton Heston''' (October 4, 1924 - April 5, 2008) was a famous [[Hollywood]] actor known for playing larger than life roles including [[Moses]], [[Michaelangelo]], [[Marc Antony]], [[John the Baptist]], and [[Andrew Jackson]] and, most of all, his [[Academy Award]]-winning performance in the [[Christian]] tale of ''Ben Hur''. Later in life he channeled his passion for the [[Second Amendment]] of the [[Constitution]] and became an ardent supporter of the [[National Rifle Association]], even serving as its president from 1998 to 2001.

'''Charlton Heston''' (October 4, 1924 - April 5, 2008) was a famous [[Hollywood]] actor known for playing larger than life roles including [[Moses]], [[Michaelangelo]], [[Marc Antony]], [[John the Baptist]], and [[Andrew Jackson]] and, most of all, his [[Academy Award]]-winning performance in the [[Christian]] tale of ''Ben Hur''. Later in life he channeled his passion for the [[Second Amendment]] of the [[Constitution]] and became an ardent supporter of the [[National Rifle Association]], even serving as its president from 1998 to 2001.

A strapping man with chiseled features, he is best remembered for his portrayals of [[Moses]] in ''The Ten Commandments'', Taylor in the 1968 version of ''Planet of the Apes'', and Rodrigo in ''El Cid''. His movie ''[[Ben Hur]]'' is also a classic.  Heston used the influence he had developed as a well known actor to help others and champion causes for American liberty.  He was President of the [[Screen Actors' Guild]] from 1966 to 1971 and the president of the [[National Rifle Association]] from 1998 to 2001 as well as being an early supporter of the [[civil rights movement]] where he walked with [[Martin Luther King]].  He did not like the form that ongoing [[affirmative action]] took in later years believing that removed the equality that was being sought.

A strapping man with chiseled features, he is best remembered for his portrayals of [[Moses]] in ''The Ten Commandments'', Taylor in the 1968 version of ''Planet of the Apes'', and Rodrigo in ''El Cid''. His movie ''[[Ben Hur]]'' is also a classic.  Heston used the influence he had developed as a well known actor to help others and champion causes for American liberty.  He was President of the [[Screen Actors' Guild]] from 1966 to 1971 and the president of the [[National Rifle Association]] from 1998 to 2001 as well as being an early supporter of the [[civil rights movement]] where he walked with [[Martin Luther King]].  He even once picketed outside a movie theater in 1961 that was showing a film of his that had just come out, but would not allow blacks into the theater.  Heston did not like the form that ongoing [[affirmative action]] took in later years believing that removed the equality that was being sought. Political pundits bring up the idea that Heston changed his political views, but Heston himself spoke admiringly about his early civil rights support throughout his life and even after his political positions were categorized by others as turning conservative.  The difficulty was in the pundits who couldn't grasp that having a deep desire to see black people treated as equals wasn't the same as believing in the ongoing entitlement programs in affirmative action.     

Making a moving public speech to America in 2002 that he had been diagnosed with symptoms related to [[Alzheimer's disease]], he was seldom seen in public after that. Married to the same wife for 64 years, his entire adult life, he is survived by his wife and two children.

Making a moving public speech to America in 2002 that he had been diagnosed with symptoms related to [[Alzheimer's disease]], he was seldom seen in public after that. When George Clooney heard of it, he took the opportunity to make a public joke at Heston's expense.  When called to task for his statement, Cooney defended it because he said Charlton Heston deserved it.  Heston, ever the gentlemen, did not respond in kind, but simply said that George should be careful since he had just as much chance to come down with the disease as anyone else.<ref> http://www.gopusa.com/commentary/dpatton/2008/dp_04072.shtml |Charlton Heston Made History</ref>

 

Married to the same wife for 64 years, his entire adult life, Heston is survived by his wife and two children.

His autobiography ''In the Arena'' was written in 1995 in which he discussed his views on all of his major movies as well as stances he took on issues important to him throughout his life.   

His autobiography ''In the Arena'' was written in 1995 in which he discussed his views on all of his major movies as well as stances he took on issues important to him throughout his life.   

*[http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000032/ Internet Movie Database]

*[http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000032/ Internet Movie Database]

*[http://www.gopusa.com/commentary/dpatton/2008/dp_04072.shtml Fitting Summary of Life Achievements]

*[http://www.gopusa.com/commentary/dpatton/2008/dp_04072.shtml Fitting Summary of Life Achievements]

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[[Category:Actors]]

[[Category:Actors]]