Charlton Heston Bio (Biography)
Real name:
John Charles Carter
Date of birth:
October 4. 1921
Place of birth:
Evanston, Illinois, USA
Astrology Sign:
Libra
Height:
6' 3" (1.91 m)
Tags:
Biography
Along with Paul Newman and Elizabeth Taylor, Charlton Heston is considered one of the last great living icons of the motion picture industry. His career has spanned well over 50 years and his is most remembered for his roles in films like BenHur, and The Ten Commandments as well as for his roles in sci-fi or disaster flicks such as The Planet of The Apes and Earthquake.
Born John Charles Carter on October 4, 1921, he took on the Charlton Heston, which is a combination of the last name of his adoptive father and his mother's maiden name. In 1944, while serving in the Army Air Corps, he married Lydia Marie Clarke, who was also attending his same university, Northwestern. A rare thing for Hollywood, their marriage is one of the longest-standing in the business today.
Heston's passions however were not just confined to acting, however. He has been very vocal and active in politics. Throughout the 60s and 70s he was an anti-Macarthyist, a supporter of civil rights, an anti-Vietnam war activist and a campaigner for Adlai Stevenson, John F. Kennedy and Bobby Kennedy - so much so that when RFK was assassinated he rallied for a law that supported gun control.
But things change, and so did he. In the 80s he became more conservative and was an active supporter of Ronald Reagan, Bush Sr. and Bush Jr. In 1998 he became president of The National Rifle Association and strongly advocated the right to bear arms. His involvement in the NRA was heavily criticized in Michael Moore's shocking 2002 documentary 'Bowling for Columbine'.
In 2002 Heston announced that he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and sent a courageous farewell message to his fans. He has also been diagnosed with and battling cancer, and while he is still surviving, the Hollywood giant sadly lives the life of an invalid at his Hollywood mansion.
Born John Charles Carter on October 4, 1921, he took on the Charlton Heston, which is a combination of the last name of his adoptive father and his mother's maiden name. In 1944, while serving in the Army Air Corps, he married Lydia Marie Clarke, who was also attending his same university, Northwestern. A rare thing for Hollywood, their marriage is one of the longest-standing in the business today.
Heston's passions however were not just confined to acting, however. He has been very vocal and active in politics. Throughout the 60s and 70s he was an anti-Macarthyist, a supporter of civil rights, an anti-Vietnam war activist and a campaigner for Adlai Stevenson, John F. Kennedy and Bobby Kennedy - so much so that when RFK was assassinated he rallied for a law that supported gun control.
But things change, and so did he. In the 80s he became more conservative and was an active supporter of Ronald Reagan, Bush Sr. and Bush Jr. In 1998 he became president of The National Rifle Association and strongly advocated the right to bear arms. His involvement in the NRA was heavily criticized in Michael Moore's shocking 2002 documentary 'Bowling for Columbine'.
In 2002 Heston announced that he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and sent a courageous farewell message to his fans. He has also been diagnosed with and battling cancer, and while he is still surviving, the Hollywood giant sadly lives the life of an invalid at his Hollywood mansion.