Charlton Heston
Known for: Acting
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
Series
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
Self
1962
Series
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
Self (archive footage)
1962
Series
Friends
Charlton Heston
1994
Series
Saturday Night Live
Self - Host
1975
Series
The Mike Douglas Show
Self - Guest
1961
Series
Golden Globe Awards
Self
1944
Series
Golden Globe Awards
Self - Presenter
1944
Series
Golden Globe Awards
Self - Nominee
1944
Series
Dynasty
Jason Colby
1981
Series
Robert Montgomery Presents
Cashel Bryon
1950
Series
Robert Montgomery Presents
Peter Handley
1950
Series
Robert Montgomery Presents
Melody Jones
1950
Series
Climax!
Lt. Paul Peterson
1954
Series
Climax!
Chipman
1954
Series
The Philco Television Playhouse
1948
Series
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Self - Guest
1993
Series
The Merv Griffin Show
Self
1962
Series
Wogan
Self
1982
Series
What's My Line?
Self - Mystery Guest
1950
Series
Studio One
1948
Series
Studio One
Philip Carey
1948
Series
Studio One
Edward Rochester
1948
Series
Studio One
Col. / Dr. Michael Knowle
1948
Series
Studio One
Petruchio
1948
Series
Studio One
Heathcliff
1948
Series
Studio One
Mitch Henderson
1948
Series
Studio One
Macbeth
1948
Series
Studio One
James Otis
1948
Series
Studio One
Merton Densher
1948
Series
Studio One
Commander Schneider
1948
Series
The Outer Limits
Chief Justice Haden Wainwright
1995
Series
The Dick Cavett Show
Self - Guest
1968
Series
seaQuest DSV
Abalon
1993
Series
Bambi
Self
1948
Series
The Ed Sullivan Show
Self
1948
Series
Omnibus
Self - Presenter
1952
Series
Spécial cinéma
Self
1974
Series
Les Rendez-vous du dimanche
Self
1975
Series
The Colgate Comedy Hour
Self
1950
Series
The Colgate Comedy Hour
Self - Host
1950
Series
Space Ghost Coast to Coast
Self
1994
Pebble Mill
Self
1991
Series
The Steve Allen Show
Self - Actor
1956
Series
The Steve Allen Show
Self
1956
Series
Dinah!
Self
1974
Series
The Oscars
Self
1953
Series
Playhouse 90
Col. Jesse Price
1956
Film '72
Self
1971
Series
Shirley Temple's Storybook
Beast
1958
Series
Suspense
1949
Film
Hercules
Narrator (voice)
1997
Series
The Colbys
Jason Colby
1985
Film
Armageddon
Narration (voice)
1998
Film
Ben-Hur
Judah Ben-Hur
1959
Film
Planet of the Apes
George Taylor
1968
Film
The Ten Commandments
Moses
1956
Film
Midway
Capt. Matthew Garth
1976
Series
The Kennedy Center Honors
Self
1978
Series
Your Show of Shows
Self - Guest Performer
1950
Series
Your Show of Shows
Self - Guest Host
1950
Film
True Lies
Spencer Trilby
1994
V.I.P. Schaukel
Self
1971
Film
Tombstone
Henry Hooker
1993
Series
Noel's House Party
Star guest
1991
Film
Planet of the Apes
Zaius (uncredited)
2001
Series
The American Film Institute Salute to ...
Self
1973
Series
Talking Pictures
Self (archive footage)
2013
Film
Cats & Dogs
The Mastiff (voice)
2001
Film
In the Mouth of Madness
Jackson Harglow
1995
Series
Sworn to Secrecy: Secrets of War
Self - Narrator (voice)
1998
Film
Soylent Green
Detective Robert Thorn
1973
Film
Earthquake
Stewart Graff
1974
Film
Any Given Sunday
AFFA Football Commissioner
1999
Film
Touch of Evil
Ramon Miguel Vargas
1958
Film
Beneath the Planet of the Apes
Taylor
1970
Series
Hallmark Hall of Fame
Thomas Jefferson
1951
Series
Hallmark Hall of Fame
Robert Devereaux, Earl of Essex
1951
Film
El Cid
El Cid Rodrigo de Vivar
1961
Film
The Order
Professor Finley
2001
Film
Treasure Island
Long John Silver
1990
Series
Kraft Mystery Theatre
Paul Malone (archive footage)
1961
Film
Bowling for Columbine
Self - NRA President
2002
Series
The Weber Show
Charlton Heston
2000
Film
Mother Lode
Silas McGee / Ian McGee
1982
Film
The Three Musketeers
Cardinal Richelieu
1973
Film
Airport 1975
Alan Murdock
1974
Film
The Greatest Show on Earth
Brad Braden
1952
Series
General Electric Theater
Tim
1953
Series
Chiefs
Hugh Holmes
1983
Film
The Last Hard Men
Sam Burgade
1976
Film
The Greatest Story Ever Told
John the Baptist
1965
Film
Hamlet
Player King
1996
Series
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
1951
Film
Wayne's World 2
Good Actor
1993
Series
The Dame Edna Experience
Self
1987
Series
Eco-Challenge
1995
Film
The Hawaiians
Whip Hoxworth
1970
Film
Sam Peckinpah's West: Legacy of a Hollywood Renegade
Self (archive footage)
2004
Film
55 Days at Peking
Maj. Matt Lewis
1963
Film
Julius Caesar
Marc Antony
1970
Film
The Big Country
Steve Leech
1958
Film
The Savage
James 'Jim' Aherne Jr. / War Bonnet
1952
Film
Khartoum
Gen. Charles 'Chinese' Gordon
1966
Series
MADtv
Self
1995
Film
Town & Country
Mr. Clayborne
2001
Film
Will Penny
Will Penny
1967
Film
Saturday Night Live: 15th Anniversary
Self
1989
Film
Gideon
Addison Sinclair
1998
Film
Alaska
Perry
1996
Film
The Omega Man
Robert Neville
1971
Film
The Four Musketeers
Cardinal Richelieu
1974
Film
Ruby Gentry
Boake Tackman
1952
Film
The Prince and the Pauper
Henry VIII
1977
Film
2Everything2Terrible2: Tokyo Drift
(archive footage)
2010
Film
Almost an Angel
God
1990
Film
Nairobi Affair
Lee Cahill
1984
Film
Pony Express
Captain William Frank 'Buffalo Bill' Cody
1953
Film
The Agony and the Ecstasy
Michelangelo
1965
Film
Major Dundee
Major Amos Charles Dundee
1965
Film
Shirley Maclaine: Kicking Up Her Heels
Self
1996
Series
The $64,000 Question
Substitute Host
1955
Film
Arrowhead
Ed Bannon
1953
Film
Marlon Brando: An Actor Named Desire
Self - Actor (archive footage)
2014
Film
Counterpoint
Lionel Evans
1967
Film
The Buccaneer
Gen. Andrew Jackson
1958
Film
The Naked Jungle
Christopher Leiningen
1954
Film
Antony and Cleopatra
Marc Antony
1972
Film
Happy 100th Birthday, Hollywood
Self
1987
Film
Last Party 2000
Self
2001
Film
Dark City
Danny Haley
1950
Television: The First Fifty Years
Self
1999
Film
Two-Minute Warning
Capt. Peter Holly
1976
Film
Solar Crisis
Adm. "Skeet" Kelso
1992
Film
The Mountain Men
Bill Tyler
1980
Film
Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff
Self – Interviewee
2010
Film
Yesterday's Tomorrows
Self
1999
Film
The Call of the Wild
John Thornton
1972
Film
Hail Satan?
Self - Actor (archive footage)
2019
Film
Noël
Narrator
1992
Series
Secrets of War: Shadows of The Reich
Self - Narrator (voice)
1998
Film
King: A Filmed Record... Montgomery to Memphis
Self (archive footage)
1970
Film
Skyjacked
Capt. Henry 'Hank' O'Hara
1972
Film
The Wreck of the Mary Deare
John Sands
1959
Film
The Avenging Angel
Brigham Young
1995
Film
Lucy Gallant
Casey Cole
1955
Film
Three Violent People
Colt Saunders
1956
Film
Masters of Illusion: The Wizards of Special Effects
Self
1994
The Patriots
Thomas Jefferson
1963
Film
The Private War of Major Benson
Maj. Bernard R. 'Barney' Benson
1955
Film
Forever Hollywood
Self
1999
Film
Gray Lady Down
Captain Paul Blanchard
1978
Film
The Awakening
Matthew Corbeck
1980
Film
Barbara Stanwyck: Straight Down the Line
Self
1997
Film
Ben-Hur: The Epic That Changed Cinema
Self (archive footage)
2005
Film
Spanish Western
Self (archive footage)
2015
Film
Magician: The Astonishing Life and Work of Orson Welles
Self - Actor (archive footage)
2014
Three Lives
Self
1953
Film
Number One
Ron "Cat" Catlan
1969
Film
Edith Head: The Paramount Years
Self (archive footage)
2002
Series
Science Fiction Film Awards
Himself
Film
The Far Horizons
Lt. William Clark
1955
Film
Diamond Head
Richard 'King' Howland
1962
Film
Rowan & Martin at the Movies
Self
1968
Film
Sword-and-Sandal: The Story of the Period Epic
Self - Actor (archive footage)
2019
Film
Behind the Planet of the Apes
Self - 'Taylor'
1998
Film
The War Lord
Chrysagon
1965
Film
The Lord Protector
Narrator (voice)
1996
Film
A Man for All Seasons
Sir Thomas More
1988
Series
Korea: The Unknown War
General Douglas MacArthur (voice)
1988
Film
Crash Landing: The Rescue of Flight 232
Captain Al Haynes
1992
Film
The Mystery of the Sphinx
Narrator
1993
Film
Big Guns Talk: The Story of the Western
Self
1997
Film
Secret of the Incas
Harry Steel
1954
Film
AFI: 100 Years... 100 Movies... 10th Anniversary Edition
Self (archive footage)
2007
Film
Christmas in Hollywood
Self (archive footage)
2003
Film
A Look at the World of 'Soylent Green'
Self
1973
Film
Alaska: Spirit of the Wild
Self - Narrator (voice)
1998
Film
Proud Men
Charley MacLeod Sr.
1987
Film
The Crucifer of Blood
Sherlock Holmes
1991
Film
Directed by William Wyler
Self
1986
Film
Let Poland Be Poland
Self - Co-Host
1982
Film
A Century of Cinema
Self
1994
Film
Ben Hur
Ben Hur (voice)
2003
Film
Greatest Heroes and Legends of The Bible: The Garden of Eden
Self - Host
2003
Film
The Special London Bridge Special
Tennis Player
1972
Forbidden Area
Col. Jesse Price
1956
Series
Camino de Santiago
Professor Marcelo Rinaldi
1999
Film
Barry Norman in Celebrity City
Self
1982
Film
Texas
Narrator
1995
Film
Peer Gynt
Peer Gynt
1941
Film
Hollywood at Your Feet: The Story of the Chinese Theatre Footprints
Self
2000
Film
Airports
2025
Film
Gary Cooper: The Face of a Hero
Self
1998
Film
My Father
Josef Mengele
2003
Film
Remembering Reagan at His Ranch
Host
2004
Film
Charlton Heston and Ben-Hur: A Personal Journey
Self (archive footage)
2011
Film
Love in Hollywood
Self
1996
Film
The Legacy of Malthus
Self (Population Institute, 1993) (archive footage)
1994
Film
The President's Lady
Andrew Jackson
1953
Film
Charlton Heston: Radical to Right Wing
Self (archive footage)
2023
Film
Greatest Heroes and Legends of the Bible: Daniel and the Lion's Den
Self - Host
2003
Film
The Making of Midway
Self
2001
Film
Emergency: Donald Trump’s "Touch of Evil"
(archive footage)
2019
Film
The Fantasy Film Worlds of George Pal
Self
1986
Film
Uncertain Verification
(archive footage)
1965
Film
Planet of the Apes: A Milestone of Science Fiction
Self (archive footage)
2024
Film
Gore Vidal: The United States of Amnesia
Self (archive footage)
2013
Film
The Face of Evil: Reinhard Heydrich
Narrator (voice)
2002
Film
The Making of The Ten Commandments
Self (archive footage)
2003
Film
The Little Kidnappers
James MacKenzie
1990
Film
Bad for Each Other
Dr. Tom Owen
1953
Film
Elizabeth the Queen
Lord Essex
1968
Film
The Pigeon That Took Rome
Captain Paul MacDougall / Benny the Snatch / Narrator
1962
Film
Call from Space
Alien (voice)
1989
Film
The Bible According to Hollywood
Self
1994
Film
I Am Richard Pryor
Self - Actor (archive footage)
2019
Film
Greatest Heroes and Legends: The Story of Moses
Self - Host / Moses
2008
Film
Yul Brynner, the Magnificent
Self - Actor (archive footage)
2020
F.D.R.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt
1965
With Orson Welles: Stories from a Life in Film
Self
1990
Film
Charlton Heston Presents the Bible
Self - Narrator
1997
Film
Original Sin
Louis Mancini
1989
Film
Todos los nombres de Sara
Self - Actor (archive footage)
2019
Cults: Saying No Under Pressure
Narrator
1991
Film
Hollywood sul Tevere
2009
Film
Julius Caesar
Mark Antony
1950
Film
The Mysterious Origins of Man
Self - Host
1996
Film
Stars of Cabaret
Self (archive footage)
1956
Film
Jane Eyre
Edward Rochester
1949
Film
The Making of 'Tombstone'
Self
2002
Film
The Madding Crowd
Self (archive footage)
2017
Film
The Stars Salute the U.S. Olympic Team
Self - Performer
1984
This Is Your Life: 30th Anniversary Special
Self
1981
Film
Greatest Heroes and Legends of The Bible: Jonah and the Whale
Self - Host
2003
Film
Symphony for the Spire
1992
Film
Greatest Heroes and Legends of The Bible: Joshua and the Battle of Jericho
Self - Host
2003
Film
A Night on Mount Edna
Self
1990
Film
Lasting Love
2003
Film
De Madrid a la Luna
Self (archive footage)
2006
Film
The Lost City of Cecil B. DeMille
Self
2016
Film
Fun in the Big Country
Self
1958
Film
Energy: A National Issue
Narrator (voice)
1977
Film
Air Force One: The Planes and the Presidents
Host and Narrator
1991
Film
Planet of the Apes Test Reel
Thomas
1966
Film
Bienvenido Mr. Heston
Self (archive footage)
2016
Film
Greatest Heroes and Legends of The Bible: David and Goliath
Self - Host
2003
Film
Greatest Heroes and Legends of The Bible: Samson and Delilah
Self - Host
2003
Film
Vietnam! Vietnam!
Narrator (voice)
1971
Film
The Taming of the Shrew
Petruchio
1950
Film
The Orson Welles Story
Self
1982
Film
Eclipse of Reason
Narrator
1987
Film
The Five Cities of June
Narrator
1963
Film
Charlton Heston Presents the Bible: Jesus of Nazareth
Self - Host
1993
Film
Charlton Heston Presents The Bible: The Story of Moses
Self - Host
1993
Film
While I Run This Race
Narrator
1967
Film
A Bolt of Lightning
James Otis
1951
The Gun Deadlock
Self
2001
Film
The Last Man Alive: The Omega Man
Self - Narrator
1971
Andrew Weyth, The Helga Pictures
Self - Host
1987
Film
Charlton Heston: For All Seasons
Self
1995
Film
The Greatest All-Star Advertial of All Time
Self
1963
Film
America at the Movies
Narrator
1976
Film
Charlton Heston Presents the Bible: Genesis
Self - Host
1997
Children of the Civil Rights
Self (archival footage)
2015
Film
Studio One: Wuthering Heights
Heathcliff
1950
Night of the Dragon
Narrator
1965
Private Screenings: Charlton Heston
Self
1998
Andersonville Diaries
Narrator
1996
Look at Life: The City's Built for Shooting
Self
1963