Charlton Heston (born John Charles Carter; October 4, 1923 â€" April
5, 2008) was an American actor and political activist. As a Hollywood
star, he appeared in almost 100 films over the course of 60 years. He
played Moses in the epic film The Ten Commandments (1956), for which
he received his first nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best
Actor â€" Motion Picture Drama. He also starred in The Greatest Show
on Earth (1952), Secret of the Incas (1954), Touch of Evil (1958) with
Orson Welles, The Big Country (1958), Ben-Hur (1959), for which he won
the Oscar for Best Actor, El Cid (1961), The Greatest Story Ever Told
(1965), and Planet of the Apes (1968).In the 1950s and 1960s, he was
one of a handful of Hollywood actors to speak openly against racism,
and was an active supporter of the Civil Rights Movement. Heston left
the Democratic Party in 1971 to become a Republican, founding a
conservative political action committee and supporting Ronald Reagan.
Heston was a five-term president of the National Rifle Association
(NRA), from 1998 to 2003. After announcing he had Alzheimer's disease
in 2002, he retired from both acting and the NRA presidency.John
Charles Carter was born on October 4, 1923, in Wilmette, Illinois, to
Lilla (née Baines; 1899â€"1994) and Russell Whitford Carter
(1897â€"1966), a sawmill operator. Many sources indicate he was born
in Evanston, Illinois. Heston's autobiography stated otherwise.
5, 2008) was an American actor and political activist. As a Hollywood
star, he appeared in almost 100 films over the course of 60 years. He
played Moses in the epic film The Ten Commandments (1956), for which
he received his first nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best
Actor â€" Motion Picture Drama. He also starred in The Greatest Show
on Earth (1952), Secret of the Incas (1954), Touch of Evil (1958) with
Orson Welles, The Big Country (1958), Ben-Hur (1959), for which he won
the Oscar for Best Actor, El Cid (1961), The Greatest Story Ever Told
(1965), and Planet of the Apes (1968).In the 1950s and 1960s, he was
one of a handful of Hollywood actors to speak openly against racism,
and was an active supporter of the Civil Rights Movement. Heston left
the Democratic Party in 1971 to become a Republican, founding a
conservative political action committee and supporting Ronald Reagan.
Heston was a five-term president of the National Rifle Association
(NRA), from 1998 to 2003. After announcing he had Alzheimer's disease
in 2002, he retired from both acting and the NRA presidency.John
Charles Carter was born on October 4, 1923, in Wilmette, Illinois, to
Lilla (née Baines; 1899â€"1994) and Russell Whitford Carter
(1897â€"1966), a sawmill operator. Many sources indicate he was born
in Evanston, Illinois. Heston's autobiography stated otherwise.
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