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LOS ANGELES: Charlton Heston, the chisel-jawed
Hollywood icon best remembered for his Oscar-winning performance in
the 1959 epic Ben- Hur has died at his home, his family said. He was
84.
Heston’s family said in a
statement that the actor famed for his heroic roles and portrayal of
historical figures ranging from Moses to Michelangelo died Saturday
(Sunday in Manila) with his wife of 64 years, Lydia, by his side.
The actor, an outspoken liberal
Democrat during the 1960s who later attracted controversy for his
unapologetic support of the National Rifle Association (NRA) and
conservative causes, had been battling Alzheimer’s.
“To his loving friends,
colleagues and fans, we appreciate your heartfelt prayers and
support,” the Heston family said in a statement.
“Indeed, he committed himself
to every role with passion, and pursued every cause with unmatched
enthusiasm and integrity,” the statement added.
“We knew him as an adoring
husband, a kind and devoted father, and a gentle grandfather, with
an infectious sense of humor. He served these far greater roles with
tremendous faith, courage and dignity.”
Heston’s long-time
representative Michael Levine said the actor’s death represented
not only “the loss of a great actor and human being, but also the
end of an era.”
Making of a star
Born John Charlton Carter on
October 4, 1923 in Evanston, Illinois, Heston created his pseudonym
by combining his mother’s maiden name, Charlton, with his
stepfather’s name, Heston.
His talent for acting was
discovered after his family moved to suburban Chicago, where he
became the star in several
school plays.
From there, he went to nearby
Northwestern University, served in the air force in World War II and
eventually landed on Broadway, making his debut in Anthony and
Cleopatra. He made his feature film debut in 1941 appearing as the
lead character in Peer Gynt.
His penchant for playing
historical figures was in evidence again when he appeared as Mark
Anthony in 1950’s Julius Caesar, yet it was his performance as
circus manager Brad Baden in the Cecil DeMille epic The Greatest
Show on Earth, that signaled his star potential.
Another collaboration with
DeMille saw him star as Moses in the blockbuster 1956 film The Ten
Commandments, before William Wyler’s landmark Roman chariot-racing
epic Ben-Hur.
Weighing in at nearly four hours
in length, the film was to mark the zenith of the then Hollywood
fashion for lavish biblical-themed productions.
In later years Heston would often
recall that before filming the climactic scene in Ben-Hur, director
Wyler told him that if he could just stay in the chariot, Wyler
could guarantee he would win the race.
As well as Ben-Hur, Heston played
dozens of fictional and historical heroes, playing the lead in El
Cid (1961) and starring as Michelangelo in The Agony and the Ecstasy
(1965).
“I’ve played cardinals and
cowboys, kings and quarterbacks, presidents and painters, cops and
conmen,” Heston once said.
Other memorable roles include a
marooned astronaut in the superb 1968 science-fiction film Planet of
the Apes and a detective in another futuristic cult classic,
1973’s Soylent Green.
In later years, Heston worked on
successful television soap operas including Dynasty and its
spin-off, The Colbys.
Political life
The last decade of his life saw
Heston often in the spotlight for his outspoken political views and
his vociferous support and leadership of the NRA.
Although he had been a
self-proclaimed liberal during the 1960s—accompanying the Reverend
Martin Luther King Jr. during 1963’s civil rights march in
Washington—his political views later swung sharply to the right.
As president of the National
Rifle Association he achieved notoriety in 2000 when declaring at
the organization’s convention that his guns would have to be taken
away “from my cold,
dead hands.”
Heston had hip replacement
surgery in 1998 and survived prostate cancer that same year. In
August 2002, he announced that he had Alzheimer’s, a condition he
battled with characteristic grit.
“What cannot be cured must be
endured,” he said when asked about his illness in what was
believed to be his final televised interview in 2002.
One year later he received the
Presidential Medal of Freedom.
He is survived by two children,
Fraser Clarke Heston and Holly Heston Rochell, and three
grandchildren, Jack Alexander Heston, Ridley Rochell and Charlie
Rochell.
 --AFP
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