Charlton Heston's Main TV Roles Show Character(s) The Colbys Jason Colby The Merv Griffin Show Charlton He… AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies Charlton He… The Colgate Comedy Hour Charlton He… The $64,000 Question Charlton He… F.D.R. Voice of Fr…

Main Movie Roles

BIOGRAPHY:

With features chiseled in stone, who else but Charlton Heston could you picture as Michelangelo, as Ben-Hur, as Moses? Heston's movie career took off with The Greatest Show on Earth (1952) and reached light speed with Ben-Hur (1959). Although he has played a pantheon of larger-than-life roles, he usually prefers to talk about the day-to-day daily grind of the movie business, and especially credits the writers and directors he has worked for much of his success.


TRIVIA:

• The actors he admired the most were 'Gary Cooper (I)' (qv), 'Henry Fonda' (qv), 'Clark Gable' (qv), 'Cary Grant' (qv) and 'James Stewart (I)' (qv).
• Was asked by some Democrats to run for the California State Senate in 1969, but declined because he wanted to continue acting.
• Cited _Will Penny (1968)_ (qv) as his personal favorite film from his career.
• Said that _Planet of the Apes (1968)_ (qv) was the most physically demanding film he had ever done.
• Although he had supported Democrat 'Hubert H. Humphrey' (qv) in the 1968 presidential election, in 1972 he openly supported Republican 'Richard Nixon' (qv).
• Was considered for the role of Jor-El in _Superman (1978)_ (qv). The part went to 'Marlon Brando' (qv) instead.
• In the animated television show _"Family Guy" (1999)_ (qv), Heston is accidentally shot by character Joe Swanson. Joe is horrified and apologizes profusely. As he collapses, Heston replies "That's OK son - it's your right as an American citizen!".
• He and _The Big Country (1958)_ (qv) co-star 'Gregory Peck' (qv) both played the infamous Nazi war criminal, Dr. 'Josef Mengele' (qv): Heston in _My Father, Rua Alguem 5555 (2003)_ (qv) and Peck in _The Boys from Brazil (1978)_ (qv).