charlton heston ben hur

Heston was also known for his political activism. In the 1950s and 1960s he was one of a handful of Hollywood actors to speak openly against racism and was an active supporter of the Civil Rights Movement. Initially a moderate Democrat, he later supported conservative Republican policies and was president of the National Rifle Association from 1998 to 2003.



Charlton Heston in Ben-Hur

Heston was born John Charles Carter, the only child of Lila (née Charlton; 1899–1994) and Russell Whitford Carter (1897–1966), a mill operator. Most sources state that he was born in Evanston, Illinois. Heston's autobiography, however, and some other sources place his birth in No Man's Land, Illinois, which usually refers to a then-unincorporated area now part of Wilmette, a wealthy northern suburb of Chicago. Heston said in a 1995 interview that he was not very good at remembering addresses or his early childhood.



Ben-Hur Charlton Heston 1959

In his autobiography, Heston refers to his father participating in his family's construction business. When Heston was an infant his father's work moved the family to St. Helen, Michigan. It was a rural, heavily forested part of the state, and Heston lived an isolated yet idyllic[citation needed] existence spending much time hunting and fishing in the backwoods of the area.





CHARLTON HESTON: JUDAH BEN-HUR


Charlton Heston-Annex


Movie legend: Ben Hur


Charlton Heston - Ben-Hur