Charlton Heston, Dead at 84

Planet of the Apes star, Charlton Heston, has died. He was 84.

Heston's movie career began in the 1950s. Prior to that, he served in the Air Force. While he was most often associated with Conservative political views and values and served as the head of the NRA (National Rifle Association) for years, Heston was a vociferous supporter of Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. He also served as president of the Screen Actors' Guild (SAG) and chairman of the American Film Institute (AFI).

Charlton Heston appeared in a number of sci-fi/fantasy and animated film and TV roles well into the 1990s, including SeaQuest DSV, The New Outer Limits, Hercules, Armageddon, John Carpenter's In the Mouth of Madness, Soylent Green, The Dark Mist, and many more, and hosted Saturday Night Live over five times. He portrayed Moses in the film classic, The Ten Commandments, and won an Oscar for his star turn in Ben-Hur - two roles which defined his career.

In 2003, Heston stepped-down as acting president of the NRA, citing health reasons. He said he had symptoms consistent with Alzheimer's Disease. His wife of 64 years, Lydia, was at his side when he passed.

Our condolences go out to all of Charlton Heston's friends and family.

© C Harris Lynn, 2008