Charlton Heston
Known for: Acting
Born: October 4, 1923
Died: April 5, 2008
Place of birth: Wilmette, Illinois, USA
Charlton Heston (October 4, 1923 – April 5, 2008) was an American actor, renowned for his towering screen presence and roles in some of Hollywood’s most famous epics. Born John Charles Carter 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.
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Filmography
197 movies · 55 TV shows, newest first
NR
Airports
2025
8.2
Planet of the Apes: A Milestone of Science Fiction
2024
7.7
Charlton Heston: Radical to Right Wing
2023
7.4
Yul Brynner, the Magnificent
2020
4.0
Todos los nombres de Sara
2019
7.0
Hail Satan?
2019
7.0
Sword-and-Sandal: The Story of the Period Epic
2019
6.9
I Am Richard Pryor
2019
NR
Emergency: Donald Trump’s "Touch of Evil"
2019
NR
The Madding Crowd
2017
NR
Bienvenido Mr. Heston
2016
6.3
The Lost City of Cecil B. DeMille
2016
6.4
Spanish Western
20157.0
Children of the Civil Rights
2015
6.5
Magician: The Astonishing Life and Work of Orson Welles
2014
7.2
Marlon Brando: An Actor Named Desire
2014
7.7
Gore Vidal: The United States of Amnesia
2013
6.2
Talking Pictures
2013
7.6
Charlton Heston and Ben-Hur: A Personal Journey
2011
6.1
2Everything2Terrible2: Tokyo Drift
2010
6.6
Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff
2010
NR
Hollywood sul Tevere
2009
NR
Greatest Heroes and Legends: The Story of Moses
2008
6.7
AFI: 100 Years... 100 Movies... 10th Anniversary Edition
2007
6.0
De Madrid a la Luna
2006
6.5
Ben-Hur: The Epic That Changed Cinema
2005
8.0
Sam Peckinpah's West: Legacy of a Hollywood Renegade
2004
NR
Remembering Reagan at His Ranch
2004
6.0
Christmas in Hollywood
2003
8.0
The Making of The Ten Commandments
2003
6.7
My Father
2003
6.0
Greatest Heroes and Legends of the Bible: Daniel and the Lion's Den
2003
1.0
Greatest Heroes and Legends of The Bible: David and Goliath
2003
NR
Greatest Heroes and Legends of The Bible: Jonah and the Whale
2003
NR
Greatest Heroes and Legends of The Bible: Samson and Delilah
2003
5.0
Greatest Heroes and Legends of The Bible: The Garden of Eden
2003
NR
Greatest Heroes and Legends of The Bible: Joshua and the Battle of Jericho
2003
5.6
Ben Hur
2003
NR
Lasting Love
2003
7.7
Edith Head: The Paramount Years
2002
10.0
The Face of Evil: Reinhard Heydrich
2002
7.5
Bowling for Columbine
2002
6.7
The Making of 'Tombstone'
2002
6.8
Last Party 2000
2001
9.0
The Making of Midway
2001
5.8
Planet of the Apes
2001
5.4
Cats & Dogs
20017.0
The Gun Deadlock
2001
5.1
The Order
2001
4.5
Town & Country
2001
8.2
The Weber Show
2000
9.0
Hollywood at Your Feet: The Story of the Chinese Theatre Footprints
2000
6.8
Any Given Sunday
1999
7.0
Camino de Santiago
1999
8.5
Yesterday's Tomorrows
1999NR
Television: The First Fifty Years
1999
8.3
Forever Hollywood
1999
NR
Secrets of War: Shadows of The Reich
1998NR
Private Screenings: Charlton Heston
1998
6.4
Gideon
1998
6.0
Sworn to Secrecy: Secrets of War
1998
7.1
Behind the Planet of the Apes
1998
6.8
Alaska: Spirit of the Wild
1998
6.8
Armageddon
1998
7.0
Gary Cooper: The Face of a Hero
1998
8.0
Charlton Heston Presents the Bible: Genesis
1997
7.0
Big Guns Talk: The Story of the Western
1997
7.5
Hercules
1997
7.7
Barbara Stanwyck: Straight Down the Line
1997
10.0
Charlton Heston Presents the Bible
1997
7.3
Hamlet
1996
10.0
Love in Hollywood
1996
5.8
Alaska
1996
6.4
Shirley Maclaine: Kicking Up Her Heels
19969.0
Andersonville Diaries
1996
7.5
The Mysterious Origins of Man
1996
4.7
The Lord Protector
1996
7.1
MADtv
1995
5.0
Texas
1995
8.0
Eco-Challenge
1995
7.7
The Outer Limits
1995
5.0
Charlton Heston: For All Seasons
1995
7.2
In the Mouth of Madness
1995
5.0
The Avenging Angel
1995
8.4
Friends
1994
7.1
True Lies
1994
9.0
Masters of Illusion: The Wizards of Special Effects
1994
7.8
Space Ghost Coast to Coast
1994
9.0
The Legacy of Malthus
1994
7.0
The Bible According to Hollywood
1994
8.3
A Century of Cinema
1994
7.6
Tombstone
1993
6.1
Wayne's World 2
1993
7.7
The Mystery of the Sphinx
1993
7.3
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
1993
7.1
seaQuest DSV
1993
NR
Charlton Heston Presents the Bible: Jesus of Nazareth
1993
NR
Charlton Heston Presents The Bible: The Story of Moses
1993
4.6
Noël
1992
4.5
Solar Crisis
1992
5.9
Crash Landing: The Rescue of Flight 232
1992
8.5
Symphony for the Spire
1992
7.4
Noel's House Party
1991
6.5
The Crucifer of Blood
19914.1
Pebble Mill
19918.0
Cults: Saying No Under Pressure
1991
8.0
Air Force One: The Planes and the Presidents
1991
5.8
Almost an Angel
1990
8.0
A Night on Mount Edna
1990
5.7
The Little Kidnappers
1990
6.7
Treasure Island
19907.0
With Orson Welles: Stories from a Life in Film
1990
7.8
Saturday Night Live: 15th Anniversary
1989
4.8
Original Sin
1989
8.5
Call from Space
1989
7.0
A Man for All Seasons
1988
NR
Korea: The Unknown War
1988NR
All-Time Movie Greats
1988
8.0
Proud Men
1987
5.5
The Dame Edna Experience
1987NR
Andrew Weyth, The Helga Pictures
1987
6.0
Happy 100th Birthday, Hollywood
1987
NR
Eclipse of Reason
1987
7.3
The Fantasy Film Worlds of George Pal
1986
NR
Directed by William Wyler
1986NR
An All-Star Celebration Honoring Martin Luther King Jr.
1986
NR
All Star Party for 'Dutch' Reagan
1985
6.3
The Colbys
1985
NR
The Stars Salute the U.S. Olympic Team
1984
5.6
Nairobi Affair
1984
7.9
Chiefs
1983
NR
Barry Norman in Celebrity City
1982
5.7
Mother Lode
1982
8.5
The Orson Welles Story
1982
5.3
Wogan
1982
NR
Let Poland Be Poland
1982NR
This Is Your Life: 30th Anniversary Special
1981
6.5
Dynasty
1981
5.4
The Awakening
1980
5.9
The Mountain Men
1980
7.4
The Kennedy Center Honors
1978
6.5
Gray Lady Down
1978
5.0
Energy: A National Issue
1977
6.1
The Prince and the Pauper
1977
6.3
Two-Minute Warning
1976
6.5
America at the Movies
1976
6.6
Midway
1976
6.1
The Last Hard Men
1976
6.9
Saturday Night Live
1975
6.0
Les Rendez-vous du dimanche
1975
6.2
Earthquake
1974
6.5
The Four Musketeers
1974
7.0
Dinah!
1974
5.8
Airport 1975
1974
9.5
Spécial cinéma
1974
6.7
The Three Musketeers
1973
6.9
Soylent Green
1973
6.3
The American Film Institute Salute to ...
1973
6.5
A Look at the World of 'Soylent Green'
1973
6.1
The Call of the Wild
1972
6.2
Skyjacked
1972
5.7
Antony and Cleopatra
1972
8.0
The Special London Bridge Special
19725.1
Film '72
1971
6.0
Vietnam! Vietnam!
1971
6.2
The Omega Man
19718.0
V.I.P. Schaukel
1971
7.0
The Last Man Alive: The Omega Man
1971
5.5
The Hawaiians
1970
5.9
Julius Caesar
1970
6.1
Beneath the Planet of the Apes
1970
7.3
King: A Filmed Record... Montgomery to Memphis
1970
4.9
Number One
1969
6.8
The Dick Cavett Show
1968
7.7
Planet of the Apes
1968
10.0
Elizabeth the Queen
1968
4.5
Rowan & Martin at the Movies
1968
6.2
Counterpoint
1967
6.7
Will Penny
1967
6.0
While I Run This Race
1967
6.3
Khartoum
1966
NR
Planet of the Apes Test Reel
1966
6.2
The War Lord
1965NR
Night of the Dragon
1965
7.1
The Agony and the Ecstasy
1965
6.6
Uncertain Verification
1965
6.4
The Greatest Story Ever Told
1965
6.7
Major Dundee
196510.0
F.D.R.
19658.0
The Patriots
1963
6.5
The Five Cities of June
1963
6.9
55 Days at Peking
1963
NR
The Greatest All-Star Advertial of All Time
1963NR
Look at Life: The City's Built for Shooting
1963
5.5
Diamond Head
1962
7.5
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
1962
6.8
The Merv Griffin Show
1962
5.3
The Pigeon That Took Rome
1962
5.8
The Mike Douglas Show
1961
6.8
El Cid
1961
7.2
Kraft Mystery Theatre
1961
7.9
Ben-Hur
1959
6.3
The Wreck of the Mary Deare
1959
6.5
The Buccaneer
1958
7.6
The Big Country
1958
7.7
Touch of Evil
1958
6.5
Shirley Temple's Storybook
1958
NR
Fun in the Big Country
1958
5.9
Three Violent People
1956
7.8
The Ten Commandments
19567.5
Forbidden Area
1956
7.5
Playhouse 90
1956
6.2
The Steve Allen Show
1956
NR
Stars of Cabaret
1956
7.0
Lucy Gallant
1955
6.7
The Private War of Major Benson
1955
6.3
The Far Horizons
1955
NR
The $64,000 Question
1955
3.8
Climax!
1954
5.9
Secret of the Incas
1954
6.6
The Naked Jungle
1954
6.0
Bad for Each Other
19537.5
Three Lives
1953
6.1
Arrowhead
1953
5.8
Pony Express
1953
6.9
The President's Lady
1953
7.0
The Oscars
1953
6.8
General Electric Theater
1953
6.4
Ruby Gentry
1952
7.0
Omnibus
1952
6.3
The Savage
1952
6.4
The Greatest Show on Earth
1952
8.8
Hallmark Hall of Fame
1951
7.0
A Bolt of Lightning
1951
7.2
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
1951
9.0
Studio One: Wuthering Heights
1950
6.5
Dark City
1950
6.9
The Colgate Comedy Hour
1950
NR
The Taming of the Shrew
1950
6.0
Julius Caesar
1950
7.3
Your Show of Shows
1950
7.0
What's My Line?
1950
6.0
Robert Montgomery Presents
1950
NR
Jane Eyre
1949
5.1
Suspense
1949
5.4
Studio One
1948
6.6
The Philco Television Playhouse
1948
6.8
The Ed Sullivan Show
1948
9.0
Bambi
1948
7.0
Golden Globe Awards
1944
7.4
Peer Gynt
1941
NR
Science Fiction Film Awards
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