Charlton Heston
Biography
Charlton Heston was an American actor renowned for his towering screen presence and roles in some of Hollywood’s most famous epics. Born John Charles Carter on October 4, 1923, in Illinois, he discovered his passion for acting in school, studied drama at Northwestern University, and began his career on stage and in live television before transitioning to film. He first gained major attention in Cecil B. DeMille’s The Greatest Show on Earth and then became an international star with his performances as Moses in The Ten Commandments and Judah Ben‑Hur in Ben‑Hur, the latter earning him the Academy Award for Best Actor. Heston went on to headline a wide range of big‑budget films, including El Cid, The Agony and the Ecstasy, Planet of the Apes, and The Omega Man, establishing himself as one of the most recognizable leading men of mid‑20th‑century cinema. Beyond acting, he was active in public life, supporting civil rights in the 1960s and later becoming a prominent conservative voice and president of the National Rifle Association from 1998 to 2003. He retired from public life after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2002 and died on April 5, 2008, in Beverly Hills, California, leaving behind a legacy as both a cinematic icon and a polarizing political figure.
Movies (180)
Airports
2025
Planet of the Apes: A Milestone of Science Fiction
2024
Charlton Heston: Radical to Right Wing
2023
Yul Brynner, the Magnificent
2020
Todos los nombres de Sara
2019
Hail Satan?
2019
Sword-and-Sandal: The Story of the Period Epic
2019
I Am Richard Pryor
2019
Emergency: Donald Trump’s "Touch of Evil"
2019
The Madding Crowd
2017
Bienvenido Mr. Heston
2016
The Lost City of Cecil B. DeMille
2016
Spanish Western
2015
Magician: The Astonishing Life and Work of Orson Welles
2014
Marlon Brando: An Actor Named Desire
2014
Gore Vidal: The United States of Amnesia
2013
Charlton Heston and Ben-Hur: A Personal Journey
2011
2Everything2Terrible2: Tokyo Drift
2010
Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff
2010
Hollywood sul Tevere
2009
Greatest Heroes and Legends: The Story of Moses
2008
AFI: 100 Years... 100 Movies... 10th Anniversary Edition
2007
De Madrid a la Luna
2006
Ben-Hur: The Epic That Changed Cinema
2005
Sam Peckinpah's West: Legacy of a Hollywood Renegade
2004
Remembering Reagan at His Ranch
2004
Christmas in Hollywood
2003
The Making of The Ten Commandments
2003
My Father
2003
Greatest Heroes and Legends of the Bible: Daniel and the Lion's Den
2003
Greatest Heroes and Legends of The Bible: David and Goliath
2003
Greatest Heroes and Legends of The Bible: Jonah and the Whale
2003
Greatest Heroes and Legends of The Bible: Samson and Delilah
2003
Greatest Heroes and Legends of The Bible: The Garden of Eden
2003
Greatest Heroes and Legends of The Bible: Joshua and the Battle of Jericho
2003
Ben Hur
2003
Lasting Love
2003
Edith Head: The Paramount Years
2002
The Face of Evil: Reinhard Heydrich
2002
Bowling for Columbine
2002
The Making of 'Tombstone'
2002
Last Party 2000
2001
The Making of Midway
2001
Planet of the Apes
2001
Cats & Dogs
2001
The Order
2001
Town & Country
2001
Hollywood at Your Feet: The Story of the Chinese Theatre Footprints
2000
Any Given Sunday
1999
Yesterday's Tomorrows
1999
Forever Hollywood
1999
Gideon
1998
Behind the Planet of the Apes
1998
Alaska: Spirit of the Wild
1998
Armageddon
1998
Gary Cooper: The Face of a Hero
1998
Charlton Heston Presents the Bible: Genesis
1997
Big Guns Talk: The Story of the Western
1997
Hercules
1997
Barbara Stanwyck: Straight Down the Line
1997
Charlton Heston Presents the Bible
1997
Hamlet
1996
Love in Hollywood
1996
Alaska
1996
Shirley Maclaine: Kicking Up Her Heels
1996
The Mysterious Origins of Man
1996
The Lord Protector
1996
Texas
1995
Charlton Heston: For All Seasons
1995
In the Mouth of Madness
1995
The Avenging Angel
1995
True Lies
1994
Masters of Illusion: The Wizards of Special Effects
1994
The Legacy of Malthus
1994
The Bible According to Hollywood
1994
A Century of Cinema
1994
Tombstone
1993
Wayne's World 2
1993
The Mystery of the Sphinx
1993
Charlton Heston Presents the Bible: Jesus of Nazareth
1993
Charlton Heston Presents The Bible: The Story of Moses
1993
Noël
1992
Solar Crisis
1992
Crash Landing: The Rescue of Flight 232
1992
Symphony for the Spire
1992
The Crucifer of Blood
1991
Air Force One: The Planes and the Presidents
1991
Almost an Angel
1990
A Night on Mount Edna
1990
The Little Kidnappers
1990
Treasure Island
1990
Saturday Night Live: 15th Anniversary
1989
Original Sin
1989
Call from Space
1989
A Man for All Seasons
1988
Proud Men
1987
Happy 100th Birthday, Hollywood
1987
Eclipse of Reason
1987
The Fantasy Film Worlds of George Pal
1986
Directed by William Wyler
1986
The Stars Salute the U.S. Olympic Team
1984
Nairobi Affair
1984
Barry Norman in Celebrity City
1982
Mother Lode
1982
The Orson Welles Story
1982
Let Poland Be Poland
1982
The Awakening
1980
The Mountain Men
1980
Gray Lady Down
1978
Energy: A National Issue
1977
The Prince and the Pauper
1977
Two-Minute Warning
1976
America at the Movies
1976
Midway
1976
The Last Hard Men
1976
Earthquake
1974
The Four Musketeers
1974
Airport 1975
1974
The Three Musketeers
1973
Soylent Green
1973
A Look at the World of 'Soylent Green'
1973
The Call of the Wild
1972
Skyjacked
1972
Antony and Cleopatra
1972
The Special London Bridge Special
1972
Vietnam! Vietnam!
1971
The Omega Man
1971
The Last Man Alive: The Omega Man
1971
The Hawaiians
1970
Julius Caesar
1970
Beneath the Planet of the Apes
1970
King: A Filmed Record... Montgomery to Memphis
1970
Number One
1969
Planet of the Apes
1968
Elizabeth the Queen
1968
Rowan & Martin at the Movies
1968
Counterpoint
1967
Will Penny
1967
While I Run This Race
1967
Khartoum
1966
Planet of the Apes Test Reel
1966
The War Lord
1965
The Agony and the Ecstasy
1965
Uncertain Verification
1965
The Greatest Story Ever Told
1965
Major Dundee
1965
The Five Cities of June
1963
55 Days at Peking
1963
The Greatest All-Star Advertial of All Time
1963
Diamond Head
1962
The Pigeon That Took Rome
1962
El Cid
1961
Ben-Hur
1959
The Wreck of the Mary Deare
1959
The Buccaneer
1958
The Big Country
1958
Touch of Evil
1958
Fun in the Big Country
1958
Three Violent People
1956
The Ten Commandments
1956
Stars of Cabaret
1956
Lucy Gallant
1955
The Private War of Major Benson
1955
The Far Horizons
1955
Secret of the Incas
1954
The Naked Jungle
1954
Bad for Each Other
1953
Arrowhead
1953
Pony Express
1953
The President's Lady
1953
Ruby Gentry
1952
The Savage
1952
The Greatest Show on Earth
1952
A Bolt of Lightning
1951
Studio One: Wuthering Heights
1950
Dark City
1950
The Taming of the Shrew
1950
Julius Caesar
1950
Jane Eyre
1949
Peer Gynt
1941
TV Shows (71)
Talking Pictures
2013
The Weber Show
2000
Camino de Santiago
1999
Secrets of War: Shadows of The Reich
1998
Sworn to Secrecy: Secrets of War
1998
MADtv
1995
Eco-Challenge
1995
The Outer Limits
1995
Friends
1994
Space Ghost Coast to Coast
1994
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
1993
seaQuest DSV
1993
Noel's House Party
1991
Korea: The Unknown War
1988
The Dame Edna Experience
1987
The Colbys
1985
Chiefs
1983
Wogan
1982
Dynasty
1981
The Kennedy Center Honors
1978
Saturday Night Live
1975
Les Rendez-vous du dimanche
1975
Dinah!
1974
Spécial cinéma
1974
The American Film Institute Salute to ...
1973
The Dick Cavett Show
1968
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
1962
The Merv Griffin Show
1962
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
1962
The Mike Douglas Show
1961
Kraft Mystery Theatre
1961
Shirley Temple's Storybook
1958
Playhouse 90
1956
The Steve Allen Show
1956
The Steve Allen Show
1956
The $64,000 Question
1955
Climax!
1954
Climax!
1954
The Oscars
1953
General Electric Theater
1953
Omnibus
1952
Hallmark Hall of Fame
1951
Hallmark Hall of Fame
1951
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
1951
The Colgate Comedy Hour
1950
The Colgate Comedy Hour
1950
Your Show of Shows
1950
Your Show of Shows
1950
What's My Line?
1950
Robert Montgomery Presents
1950
Robert Montgomery Presents
1950
Robert Montgomery Presents
1950
Suspense
1949
Studio One
1948
Studio One
1948
Studio One
1948
Studio One
1948
Studio One
1948
Studio One
1948
Studio One
1948
Studio One
1948
Studio One
1948
Studio One
1948
Studio One
1948
The Philco Television Playhouse
1948
The Ed Sullivan Show
1948
Bambi
1948
Golden Globe Awards
1944
Golden Globe Awards
1944
Golden Globe Awards
1944
