Charlton Heston: The Man Behind The Iconic Roles

Lukas Jast 15 May 2025

Imagine sitting down for breakfast and finding someone in medieval armor at your table, or maybe someone engrossed in the Dead Sea Scrolls. That was the reality for Lydia Heston during their 64-year marriage. Author Brian Steel Wills shares, “Lydia would just want an ordinary life, a normal conversation with her husband, but you never knew who might show up at their table.”

Over nearly six decades in Hollywood, Charlton Heston played some of the most unforgettable characters. From Moses in The Ten Commandments to a stranded astronaut in Planet of the Apes, and even Cardinal Richelieu in The Three Musketeers, Heston's roles were as diverse as they were iconic. Wills, who penned the new book Running the Race: The “Public Face” of Charlton Heston, says, “Charlton didn’t want to be pigeonholed. He was always striving to become a better actor, to push himself further.”

In real life, Charlton Heston was every bit as commanding as the characters he portrayed. “He had a deep sense of right and wrong, and an immense pride,” explains Wills. “Charlton wasn’t the type to do things just for the sake of doing them. Every action had a purpose, a mission behind it.”

Charlton's early career aspirations were simple: to succeed as an actor. He was discovered in Hollywood after building his reputation on Broadway, following a stint in the military. After struggling through small film roles for six years, his breakthrough came in 1956 with The Ten Commandments. This role catapulted him to stardom, but Charlton wasn’t one to rest on his laurels. He was driven to keep evolving and growing as an actor.

Charlton Heston's Kids — G Elam/Daily Mail/Shutterstock

For his role as Michelangelo in The Agony and the Ecstasy, Charlton taught himself to sculpt and paint. To play Ben-Hur, he mastered the art of chariot racing. “I spent six weeks learning how to manage the four white horses,” he once said, adding with a laugh, “It nearly pulled my arms right out of their sockets!”

On set, Charlton expected the same dedication from his co-workers. “He was incredibly focused,” says Wills, “and could be tough on co-stars if he felt they were more concerned with their star status than their craft. He had little patience for those who weren’t perfectionists.”

Standing Firm: A Man of Principle

Starting in the 1960s, Charlton began using his platform to advocate for causes he believed in. He was a vocal opponent of racism and admired Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., calling him “a 20th-century Moses for his people.” From 1965 to 1971, he served as president of the Screen Actors Guild. He also became president of the National Rifle Association for five terms, famously declaring, “I’ll give you my gun when you take it from my cold, dead hands.”

For Charlton, supporting civil rights and Second Amendment rights went hand in hand. “He had a knack for seeing issues in black and white, right versus wrong,” says Wills. “I think he found comfort in a world where there was a clear distinction between right and wrong.”