Charlton Heston (born October 4, 1924) is an Academy Award-winning American film actor noted for heroic roles and his long involvement in political issues.
Early career
Heston was born
John Charlton Carter in
St. Helen, Michigan to Lila Charlton and Russell Whitford Carter. He was raised in the north woods of
Michigan, where he enjoyed hunting, shooting, and fishing. When he was ten, his parents divorced. Shortly thereafter, his mother married Chester Heston. The new family moved to well-off
Wilmette, Illinois, a northern suburb of
Chicago, Illinois. Heston (his new surname) attended
New Trier High School. He enrolled in the school's drama program, where he performed with such outstanding results that he earned a drama scholarship to
Northwestern University from the Winnetka Community Theatre in which he was also active. While still in high school, he played in the silent 16 mm amateur film adaptation of
Peer Gynt made by David Bradley. Several years later the same team produced
Julius Caesar, in which Heston played
Mark Antony.
In 1944, Heston left college and enlisted in the United States Army Air Corps. He served for two years as a B-25 radio operater/gunner stationed in the Alaskan Aleutian Islands with the Eleventh Air Force, rising to the rank of Staff Sergeant.
More on
[ Charlton Heston ]
Academy Awards Best Actor
Gun Control :: Issues
Conservatism :: Politics