Birth Name: John Charles Carter
Birth Place: Evanston, IL Date of Birth / Zodiac Sign: 10/04/1924, Libra Profession: Actor
Charlton Heston Fast Facts:
Spent his early years in a small rural Michigan town where he was educated in a one-room schoolhouse. In high school, he performed with a local theater company which subsequently gave him a drama scholarship to Northwestern. Served in the Air Force during World War II before moving to New York to pursue an acting career. Made his Broadway debut in Katharine Cornell's 1947 production of Anthony and Cleopatra; he later made his silver screen directorial debut with 1971's Anthony and Cleopatra. Big break came when Cecil B. DeMille cast him as Moses in the 1956 classic epic The Ten Commandments (his months old son joined him on-screen as baby Moses). In the 1960s, he supported Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in the campaign for passage of the Civil Rights Act. President Reagan selected him to co-chair the White House Task Force on the Arts and Humanities in 1981. His autobiography In the Arena was published in 1995. In 1997, he snagged the Kennedy Center Honors. In 1998, he was elected president of the National Rifle Association. Factoid: Charlton Heston served as President of the Screen Actor’s Guild from 1965 to 1971, President of the American Film Institute from 1983 to 2002, and was one of the first members of the National Council on the Arts.
Charlton Heston Relationships: Fraser Clarke Heston - Son Lydia Clarke - Wife Russell Whitford Carter - Father Lilla Charlton Carter Heston - Mother Chester Heston - Stepfather Holly Ann Heston Rochell - Daughter Lilla A. Heston - Sister Charlton Heston Awards: 1962 Golden Globe: Henrietta Award (World Film Favorites) - Winner 1953 Emmy: Best Actor - Nominee 1996 Emmy: Outstanding Informational Special - Nominee 1959 Oscar: Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role - Winner 1959 Oscar: Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role - Winner 1952 Emmy: Best Actor - Nominee 1960 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama - Nominee 1960 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama - Nominee 1967 Golden Globe: Cecil B. DeMille Award - Winner 1977 Oscar: Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award - Winner 1957 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama - Nominee 1963 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy - Nominee College: Northwestern University, Evanston, IL