Charlton Heston

Actor • Activist

Birth Date: October 4, 1923

Death Date: April 5, 2008

Birth Place: Wilmette, Illinois

Awards

One of the most commanding stars of his era, actor Charlton Heston was a man whose presence allowed him to play larger than life characters on screen. With his imposing stature and sonorous voice, it did not take long before the stage actor was landing roles on early television and headlining in feature films like "The Greatest Show on Earth" (1952). As impressive as these early roles were, Heston's performances in the biblical blockbusters "The Ten Commandments" (1956) and "Ben-Hur" (1959) cemented his stature as a leading man in Hollywood. He continued with a steady output of historical epics and, as the 1960s drew to a close, took part in several science fiction classics, beginning with "Planet of the Apes" (1968). There was no denying that Charlton Heston was one of the most influential and prolific actors of 20th Century cinema, providing generations of audiences with some of the most memorable big screen performances of all time.