Charlton Heston, an American actor, and political activist was a seasoned Hollywood star who appeared in over 100 films over the course of his 60-year career. For his contributions to the English cinema business, Heston has received numerous important honors. He even managed to snag a Presidential Medal of Freedom from George W. Bush, the president. Heston was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in the early 2000s. He died on April 5, 2008, at the age of eighteen, after succumbing to pneumonia.

Early childhood development and education

Charlton Heston was born on October 4, 1923, in Wilmette, Illinois, United States, as Charlton John Carter. He was primarily of English and Scottish ancestry. Heston was born to Lilla Charlton Carter Heston and sawmill entrepreneur Russell Whitford Carter. When he was ten years old, his parents split, and his mother later married another man, Chester Heston, from whom the Charlton surname was derived.

Heston grew up in a rural, thickly forested location and has a picture-perfect life. He enrolled in dramatics at New Trier High School. In 1941, Heston starred in an amateur silent film rendition of ‘Peer Gynt’ as part of the school’s drama department. Because of his great theater skills, he was awarded a drama scholarship to Northwestern University.

Professional Career Of Charlton Heston

Charlton Heston’s career began in 1944 when he enlisted in the United States Army Air Force. For two years, he worked as a radio operator and aerial gunner. During his military career, he rose through the ranks to the rank of staff sergeant.

Heston moved to New York City in 1964 to pursue his acting career. He made his Broadway debut in Antony and Cleopatra the same year, and he was also active on television at the time.

Heston’s success on stage led to Hollywood offers, and he made his professional film debut in 1950 with a lead role in the American crime picture Dark City.

Heston’s outstanding performance in his first film drew the notice of Cecil B. DeMille, who gave him the role of circus manager in ‘The Greatest Show on Earth’ in 1952. Later, he played Andrew Jackson in the film ‘The President’s Lady.’

Heston’s portrayal of Moses in the 1956 film “The Ten Commandments” was well received by reviewers and audiences, and it helped him establish himself as a Hollywood hero.

In 1959, Heston starred in the historical drama ‘Ben-Hur,’ cementing his reputation as one of the best actors in American cinema. He won his first Academy Award for Best Actor as a result of the film.

‘Khartoum,’ ‘Planet of the Apes,’ Julius Caesar, Antony and Cleopatra, Call of the Wild, The Four Musketeers,’ and many other films contributed to Heston’s fame in the 1960s and 1970s.

‘Solar Crisis,’ ‘True Lies,’ and ‘Hamlet’ are some of his films from the 1990s. Even Disney’s ‘Hercules’ and ‘Armageddon’ used him as a voice actor.

Activism in Politics

Despite his acting career, Heston was also involved in politics. He devoted over half of his life to political activism. He took part in Dr. Martin Luther King’s civil rights march in Washington, D.C., in 1963. He was also the president of the National Rifle Association of the United States from 1998 to 2003.

Heston was once invited by Harvard Law School to participate in a seminar called Winning the Cultural War, and he stated, “We’d still be King George’s boys, beholden to the British crown if Americans believed in political correctness.”

He also addressed the students. “You are the brightest and best. You, in this fertile cradle of American education, here on the Charles River in the fortress of learning. Thou are the crème of the crop. However, I believe you and your peers across the country are the most socially conforming and politically silent generation since the Concord Bridge. And as long as you validate and follow it, you are cowards in your grandfather’s eyes.”

In 2003, Heston issued a message of solidarity to American troops fighting in Iraq; he also opposed abortion and introduced Bernard Nathanson’s pro-life video Eclipse of Reason.

Charlton Heston’s Relationship

On March 17, 1944, Charlton Heston married actress, Lydia Marie Clarke. They met through a mutual friend and remained together until his final breath, making him a one-woman guy. Fraser Clarke Heston, a son, and Holly Ann Heston, an adoptive daughter, are the couple’s children. The couple has been married for 64 years with no rumors of a divorce or separation in the interim. During the 1990s, Heston had a number of health issues. In 1996, he had a hip replacement, and in 1998, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, which he eventually beat.

Charlton Heston Net Worth 2023

Charlton Heston, an Oscar winner, amassed a net worth of $40 million from his acting and political careers. In Julius Caesar, he charged $50 per week in 1950. Heston received a $400,000 acting fee and a $177,000 directing charge in 1982. For his role on The Colbys, he was paid $90,000 each episode.

Death and Enduring Legacy

During the 1990s, Heston had a number of health issues. In 1996, he had a hip replacement, and in 1998, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, which he eventually beat. Heston disclosed in 2002 that he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, adding,

“In equal measure, I must reconcile courage and resignation.”

Heston died on April 5, 2008, at the age of 84, at his home in Beverly Hills, California. For several months, the cause of his death was unknown; nevertheless, it was ultimately revealed that he died of pneumonia.

On April 12, 2008, Heston’s funeral was held in the Episcopal Parish of St. Matthew’s Church in Pacific Palisades, in front of 250 guests, including Nancy Reagan and numerous Hollywood personalities.

Charlton Heston Quick Facts

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