Charlton Heston
Born: 1923-10-04 in Wilmette, Illinois, USA
Died: 2008-04-05
Known For: Acting
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.
Filmography
2025
2024
- Planet of the Apes: A Milestone of Science Fiction as Self (archive footage)
2023
- Charlton Heston: Radical to Right Wing as Self (archive footage)
2020
- Yul Brynner, the Magnificent as Self - Actor (archive footage)
2019
- Hail Satan? as Self - Actor (archive footage)
- I Am Richard Pryor as Self - Actor (archive footage)
- Sword-and-Sandal: The Story of the Period Epic as Self - Actor (archive footage)
- Todos los nombres de Sara as Self - Actor (archive footage)
- Emergency: Donald Trump’s "Touch of Evil" as (archive footage)
2017
- The Madding Crowd as Self (archive footage)
2016
- Bienvenido Mr. Heston as Self (archive footage)
- The Lost City of Cecil B. DeMille as Self
2015
- Spanish Western as Self (archive footage)
- Children of the Civil Rights as Self (archival footage)
2014
- Marlon Brando: An Actor Named Desire as Self - Actor (archive footage)
- Magician: The Astonishing Life and Work of Orson Welles as Self - Actor (archive footage)
2013
- Talking Pictures as Self (archive footage)
- Gore Vidal: The United States of Amnesia as Self (archive footage)
2011
- Charlton Heston and Ben-Hur: A Personal Journey as Self (archive footage)
2010
- 2Everything2Terrible2: Tokyo Drift as (archive footage)
- Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff as Self – Interviewee
2009
2008
- Greatest Heroes and Legends: The Story of Moses as Self - Host / Moses
2007
- AFI: 100 Years... 100 Movies... 10th Anniversary Edition as Self (archive footage)
2006
- De Madrid a la Luna as Self (archive footage)
2005
- Ben-Hur: The Epic That Changed Cinema as Self (archive footage)
2004
- Sam Peckinpah's West: Legacy of a Hollywood Renegade as Self (archive footage)
- Remembering Reagan at His Ranch as Host
2003
- Christmas in Hollywood as Self (archive footage)
- Ben Hur as Ben Hur (voice)
- My Father as Josef Mengele
- Greatest Heroes and Legends of The Bible: The Garden of Eden as Self - Host
- The Making of The Ten Commandments as Self (archive footage)
- Greatest Heroes and Legends of the Bible: Daniel and the Lion's Den as Self - Host
- Greatest Heroes and Legends of The Bible: Joshua and the Battle of Jericho as Self - Host
- Greatest Heroes and Legends of The Bible: Jonah and the Whale as Self - Host
- Greatest Heroes and Legends of The Bible: David and Goliath as Self - Host
- Greatest Heroes and Legends of The Bible: Samson and Delilah as Self - Host
- Lasting Love
2002
- Bowling for Columbine as Self - NRA President
- Edith Head: The Paramount Years as Self (archive footage)
- The Making of 'Tombstone' as Self
- The Face of Evil: Reinhard Heydrich as Narrator (voice)
2001
- Planet of the Apes as Zaius (uncredited)
- Cats & Dogs as The Mastiff (voice)
- The Order as Professor Finley
- Town & Country as Mr. Clayborne
- Last Party 2000 as Self
- The Gun Deadlock as Self
- The Making of Midway as Self
2000
- The Weber Show as Charlton Heston
- Hollywood at Your Feet: The Story of the Chinese Theatre Footprints as Self
1999
- Any Given Sunday as AFFA Football Commissioner
- Television: The First Fifty Years as Self
- Camino de Santiago as Professor Marcelo Rinaldi
- Forever Hollywood as Self
- Yesterday's Tomorrows as Self
1998
- Armageddon as Narration (voice)
- Sworn to Secrecy: Secrets of War as Self - Narrator (voice)
- Secrets of War: Shadows of The Reich as Self - Narrator (voice)
- Gideon as Addison Sinclair
- Behind the Planet of the Apes as Self - 'Taylor'
- Gary Cooper: The Face of a Hero as Self
- Alaska: Spirit of the Wild as Self - Narrator (voice)
- Private Screenings: Charlton Heston as Self
1997
- Hercules as Narrator (voice)
- Big Guns Talk: The Story of the Western as Self
- Barbara Stanwyck: Straight Down the Line as Self
- Charlton Heston Presents the Bible as Self - Narrator
- Charlton Heston Presents the Bible: Genesis as Self - Host
1996
- Hamlet as Player King
- Alaska as Perry
- Shirley Maclaine: Kicking Up Her Heels as Self
- The Lord Protector as Narrator (voice)
- Love in Hollywood as Self
- The Mysterious Origins of Man as Self - Host
- Andersonville Diaries as Narrator
1995
- The Outer Limits as Chief Justice Haden Wainwright
- In the Mouth of Madness as Jackson Harglow
- MADtv as Self
- Eco-Challenge
- The Avenging Angel as Brigham Young
- Texas as Narrator
- Charlton Heston: For All Seasons as Self
1994
- Friends as Charlton Heston
- Space Ghost Coast to Coast as Self
- True Lies as Spencer Trilby
- Masters of Illusion: The Wizards of Special Effects as Self
- A Century of Cinema as Self
- The Legacy of Malthus as Self (Population Institute, 1993) (archive footage)
- The Bible According to Hollywood as Self
1993
- seaQuest DSV as Abalon
- Late Night with Conan O'Brien as Self - Guest
- Tombstone as Henry Hooker
- Wayne's World 2 as Good Actor
- Charlton Heston Presents The Bible: The Story of Moses as Self - Host
- The Mystery of the Sphinx as Narrator
- Charlton Heston Presents the Bible: Jesus of Nazareth as Self - Host
1992
- Solar Crisis as Adm. "Skeet" Kelso
- Crash Landing: The Rescue of Flight 232 as Captain Al Haynes
- Symphony for the Spire
- Noël as Narrator
1991
- Pebble Mill as Self
- Noel's House Party as Star guest
- The Crucifer of Blood as Sherlock Holmes
- Air Force One: The Planes and the Presidents as Host and Narrator
- Cults: Saying No Under Pressure as Narrator
1990
- Treasure Island as Long John Silver
- Almost an Angel as God
- The Little Kidnappers as James MacKenzie
- With Orson Welles: Stories from a Life in Film as Self
- A Night on Mount Edna as Self
1989
- Saturday Night Live: 15th Anniversary as Self
- Original Sin as Louis Mancini
- Call from Space as Alien (voice)
1988
- Korea: The Unknown War as General Douglas MacArthur (voice)
- A Man for All Seasons as Sir Thomas More
1987
- The Dame Edna Experience as Self
- Happy 100th Birthday, Hollywood as Self
- Proud Men as Charley MacLeod Sr.
- Andrew Weyth, The Helga Pictures as Self - Host
- Eclipse of Reason as Narrator
1986
- The Fantasy Film Worlds of George Pal as Self
- Directed by William Wyler as Self
1985
- The Colbys as Jason Colby
1984
- Nairobi Affair as Lee Cahill
- The Stars Salute the U.S. Olympic Team as Self - Performer
1983
- Chiefs as Hugh Holmes
1982
- Wogan as Self
- Mother Lode as Silas McGee / Ian McGee
- Barry Norman in Celebrity City as Self
- Let Poland Be Poland as Self - Co-Host
- The Orson Welles Story as Self
1981
- Dynasty as Jason Colby
- This Is Your Life: 30th Anniversary Special as Self
1980
- The Mountain Men as Bill Tyler
- The Awakening as Matthew Corbeck
1978
- The Kennedy Center Honors as Self
- Gray Lady Down as Captain Paul Blanchard
1977
- The Prince and the Pauper as Henry VIII
- Energy: A National Issue as Narrator (voice)
1976
- Midway as Capt. Matthew Garth
- Two-Minute Warning as Capt. Peter Holly
- The Last Hard Men as Sam Burgade
- America at the Movies as Narrator
1975
- Saturday Night Live as Self - Host
- Les Rendez-vous du dimanche as Self
1974
- Spécial cinéma as Self
- Dinah! as Self
- Earthquake as Stewart Graff
- Airport 1975 as Alan Murdock
- The Four Musketeers as Cardinal Richelieu
1973
- The American Film Institute Salute to ... as Self
- Soylent Green as Detective Robert Thorn
- The Three Musketeers as Cardinal Richelieu
- A Look at the World of 'Soylent Green' as Self
1972
- The Call of the Wild as John Thornton
- Skyjacked as Capt. Henry 'Hank' O'Hara
- Antony and Cleopatra as Marc Antony
- The Special London Bridge Special as Tennis Player
1971
- Film '72 as Self
- V.I.P. Schaukel as Self
- The Omega Man as Robert Neville
- The Last Man Alive: The Omega Man as Self - Narrator
- Vietnam! Vietnam! as Narrator (voice)
1970
- Beneath the Planet of the Apes as Taylor
- Julius Caesar as Marc Antony
- King: A Filmed Record... Montgomery to Memphis as Self (archive footage)
- The Hawaiians as Whip Hoxworth
1969
- Number One as Ron "Cat" Catlan
1968
- The Dick Cavett Show as Self - Guest
- Planet of the Apes as George Taylor
- Elizabeth the Queen as Lord Essex
- Rowan & Martin at the Movies as Self
1967
- Will Penny as Will Penny
- Counterpoint as Lionel Evans
- While I Run This Race as Narrator
1966
- Khartoum as Gen. Charles 'Chinese' Gordon
- Planet of the Apes Test Reel as Thomas
1965
- The Greatest Story Ever Told as John the Baptist
- Major Dundee as Major Amos Charles Dundee
- The Agony and the Ecstasy as Michelangelo
- The War Lord as Chrysagon
- Uncertain Verification as (archive footage)
- F.D.R. as Franklin Delano Roosevelt
- Night of the Dragon as Narrator
1963
- 55 Days at Peking as Maj. Matt Lewis
- The Greatest All-Star Advertial of All Time as Self
- The Five Cities of June as Narrator
- The Patriots as Thomas Jefferson
- Look at Life: The City's Built for Shooting as Self
1962
- The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson as Self
- The Merv Griffin Show as Self
- Diamond Head as Richard 'King' Howland
- The Pigeon That Took Rome as Captain Paul MacDougall / Benny the Snatch / Narrator
1961
- The Mike Douglas Show as Self - Guest
- Kraft Mystery Theatre as Paul Malone (archive footage)
- El Cid as El Cid Rodrigo de Vivar
1959
- Ben-Hur as Judah Ben-Hur
- The Wreck of the Mary Deare as John Sands
1958
- Shirley Temple's Storybook as Beast
- Touch of Evil as Ramon Miguel Vargas
- The Big Country as Steve Leech
- The Buccaneer as Gen. Andrew Jackson
- Fun in the Big Country as Self
1956
- The Steve Allen Show as Self - Actor
- Playhouse 90 as Col. Jesse Price
- The Ten Commandments as Moses
- Three Violent People as Colt Saunders
- Forbidden Area as Col. Jesse Price
- Stars of Cabaret as Self (archive footage)
1955
- The $64,000 Question as Substitute Host
- The Far Horizons as Lt. William Clark
- Lucy Gallant as Casey Cole
- The Private War of Major Benson as Maj. Bernard R. 'Barney' Benson
1954
- Climax! as Lt. Paul Peterson
- The Naked Jungle as Christopher Leiningen
- Secret of the Incas as Harry Steel
1953
- The Oscars as Self
- General Electric Theater as Tim
- Pony Express as Captain William Frank 'Buffalo Bill' Cody
- Arrowhead as Ed Bannon
- Bad for Each Other as Dr. Tom Owen
- Three Lives as Self
- The President's Lady as Andrew Jackson
1952
- Omnibus as Self - Presenter
- The Greatest Show on Earth as Brad Braden
- The Savage as James 'Jim' Aherne Jr. / War Bonnet
- Ruby Gentry as Boake Tackman
1951
- Hallmark Hall of Fame as Thomas Jefferson
- Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
- A Bolt of Lightning as James Otis
1950
- Robert Montgomery Presents as Cashel Bryon
- The Colgate Comedy Hour as Self
- What's My Line? as Self - Mystery Guest
- Your Show of Shows as Self - Guest Performer
- Dark City as Danny Haley
- Julius Caesar as Mark Antony
- Studio One: Wuthering Heights as Heathcliff
- The Taming of the Shrew as Petruchio
1948
- The Philco Television Playhouse
- Bambi as Self
- Studio One
- The Ed Sullivan Show as Self
1944
- Golden Globe Awards as Self
1941
- Peer Gynt as Peer Gynt