Legendary Actor Charlton Heston Died

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Looks like another classic actor had died...Charlton Heston at age 84 Article excerpt..full article here http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20080406/charlton_heston_080406/20080406?hub=CTVNewsAt11 (Quote) Legendary actor Charlton Heston dead at age 84 Updated Sun. Apr. 6 2008 10:52 AM ET CTV.ca News Staff Charlton Heston, the Oscar-winning actor who starred in some of Hollywood's greatest epics, has died at age 84. Heston passed away at home in Beverly Hills on Saturday night. His wife Lydia was at his side, said Bill Powers, a family spokesperson. Powers wouldn't give any further details, such as a cause of death. Heston admitted in 2002 that he had symptoms consistent with Alzheimer's disease. "I must reconcile courage and surrender in equal measure," he said. "Charlton Heston was seen by the world as larger than life. He was known for his chiseled jaw, broad shoulders and resonating voice, and, of course, for the roles he played," Heston's family said in a statement. "No one could ask for a fuller life than his. No man could have given more to his family, to his profession and to his country." Publicist Michael Levine described Heston's passing as the end of an era. "If Hollywood had a Mt. Rushmore, Heston's face would be on it," Levine said. "He was a heroic figure that I don't think exists to the same degree in Hollywood today." Heston once said about himself: "I have a face that belongs in another century." His roles included: * Moses in Cecil B. DeMille's "The Ten Commandments" (his then-newborn son, Fraser Clarke Heston, also appeared in the film as the infant Moses); * John the Baptist in "The Greatest Story Ever Told"; * Michelangelo in "The Agony and the Ecstasy"; and * Judah Ben-Hur in "Ben-Hur" Heston would win his one and only Academy Award in 1959 for his portrayal of a Jewish prince betrayed by a Roman friend and sent into slavery in "Ben-Hur." "Ben-Hur" has a famous chariot race sequence within it, and Heston bristled at any suggestion the 11-minute sequence had been shot with a double. "I couldn't drive it well, but that wasn't necessary," said Heston, who practiced for two months. "All I had to do was stay on board so they could shoot me there. I didn't have to worry; MGM guaranteed I would win the race." Other films would include: * "Touch of Evil"; * "The Big Country"; * "El Cid"; and * "Planet of the Apes" In his later years, he had cameo appearances in films like "Tombstone" and "Wayne's World 2." Heston also worked in theatre and had a role as a tycoon in "The Colbys," a 1980s primetime soap spun off from "Dynasty." Here's another article about him http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/04/07/america/Obit-Heston.php I have to admit I didn't always agree with Heston political outlook and especially his rather gun-hoe attitude about guns as he had been the president of the American Rifle Association...but he'll be remembered by me for his roles in The Ten Commandments, and Ben Hur Were you a fan of Heston's??