Charlton Heston's Main TV Roles Show Character(s) The Colbys Jason Colby AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies Charlton He… The Colgate Comedy Hour Charlton He… The Merv Griffin Show Charlton He… The $64,000 Question Charlton He… F.D.R. Voice of Fr…

Main Movie Roles 2008 - Religulous 2007 - Manufacturing Dissent 2002 - Bowling for Columbine 2001 - Town & Country 2001 - Planet of the Apes 2001 - Cats & Dogs 2001 - The Order 1999 - Any Given Sunday 1998 - Armageddon 1997 - Hercules 1996 - Hamlet 1996 - Alaska 1994 - True Lies 1994 - In the Mouth of Madness 1993 - Tombstone 1993 - Wayne's World 2 1992 - Gengis Khan 1990 - Almost An Angel 1990 - Solar Crisis 1980 - The Awakening 1978 - Gray Lady Down 1976 - Two-Minute Warning 1976 - The Last Hard Men 1976 - Midway 1974 - Earthquake 1974 - Airport 1975 1973 - Soylent Green 1973 - The Three Musketeers 1971 - The Omega Man 1970 - Julius Caesar 1970 - Beneath The Planet of The Apes 1968 - Planet of the Apes 1966 - Khartoum 1965 - The Greatest Story Ever Told 1965 - Major Dundee 1965 - The War Lord 1965 - The Agony and the Ecstasy 1963 - 55 Days at Peking 1961 - El Cid 1959 - Ben-Hur 1958 - The Big Country 1958 - Touch of Evil 1958 - The Buccaneer 1956 - The Ten Commandments 1954 - Secret of the Incas 1953 - Pony Express 1952 - The Greatest Show On Earth 1950 - Dark City

BIOGRAPHY:

With features chiseled in stone, who else but Charlton Heston could you picture as Michelangelo, as Ben-Hur, as Moses? Heston's movie career took off with The Greatest Show on Earth (1952) and reached light speed with Ben-Hur (1959). Although he has played a pantheon of larger-than-life roles, he usually prefers to talk about the day-to-day daily grind of the movie business, and especially credits the writers and directors he has worked for much of his success.


TRIVIA:

• After his starring role in the 1968 version of _Planet of the Apes (1968)_ (qv), he had an uncredited cameo in the 2001 remake, _Planet of the Apes (2001)_ (qv), as Gen. Thade's dying father.
• A World War II U.S. Army veteran, he visited troops fighting during the Vietnam War in 1967. In fact, in one camp in South Vietnam's delta area, he was "initiated" into the GI's on-base club, by having to receive a kiss on the ear!.
• Unlike many of his contemporaries, Heston continued to act on the stage. He appeared in Long Day's Journey Into Night opposite 'Deborah Kerr' (qv), Macbeth opposite 'Vanessa Redgrave' (qv) and The Caine Mutiny with 'Ben Cross (I)' (qv). His final stage role was opposite his wife 'Lydia Clarke' (qv) in Love Letters at the Haymarket Theatre in London in the summer of 1999.
• He campaigned for Republican presidential candidates 'Ronald Reagan (I)' (qv) in 1984, 'George Bush (I)' (qv) in 1988, 'George W. Bush' (qv) in 2000, and Republican candidate for governor of Virginia 'George Allen (III)' (qv) in 1993.
• Father of director 'Fraser Clarke Heston' (qv) and Holly Heston Rochell.
• Heston's Hollywood mansion is filled with memorabilia from his career. He and his wife have lived in the same house near Los Angeles's Mulholland Drive for more than forty years. Built by the actor's father after Heston won the Academy Award for best actor in _Ben-Hur (1959)_ (qv), the postmodern style home - inside and out - is filled with the memorabilia. Sitting on a table in the back yard is the figure of a Roman, whip in hand, lashing vigorously at four straining horses harnessed to a chariot. Mounted on the entrance of his study are the two great brass ring knockers from the movie set's House of Hur. Hung above the fireplace is a painting of a lumbering Conestoga wagon and, nearby, a pencil sketch of friend Sir 'Laurence Olivier' (qv) portraying King Lear. From most windows sparkle views of canyons. In the home's central hallway hang twenty paintings of Heston in signature roles: Ben-Hur, Moses, Richelieu, Michelangelo, the _Planet of the Apes (1968)_ (qv) marooned astronaut Commander Taylor, the steel-willed Major Dundee, _Soylent Green (1973)_ (qv) detective Thorn, 'Andrew Jackson (I)' (qv) in _The President's Lady (1953)_ (qv), tough ranch foreman Steve Leech riding through _The Big Country (1958)_ (qv), and cattle poke _Will Penny (1968)_ (qv) from Heston's favorite film.
• Owned more than 400 modern and antique guns.
• Reports at the time suggested that Heston badly wanted to play Sir Thomas More in _A Man for All Seasons (1966)_ (qv). The part went to 'Paul Scofield (I)' (qv) instead.