Chartlon Heston Dies at 84

Actor Charlton Heston died in California on Saturday, April 5 at age 84.

While best known for his film work, including his Oscar-winning role in Ben-Hur, Heston worked on the New York, Los Angeles, and London stages for over 40 years, beginning with his 1947 Broadway debut in Antony and Cleopatra. His stage appearances included the 1950 Broadway play Design for a Stained Glass Window, for which he earned a Theatre World Award, along with productions of Mister Roberts, A Man for All Seasons, The Crucible, Long Day’s Journey Into Night, and The Caine Mutiny Court Martial.

Heston made his film debut in 1941 in the title role of Ibsen’s Peer Gynt, played Marc Antony in film versions of Julius Caesar and Antony and Cleopatra, starred as Thomas More in a TV version of A Man for All Seasons, and portrayed The Player King in Kenneth Branagh’s film version of Hamlet. His many other films included The Ten Commandments, The Greatest Show on Earth, Planet of the Apes, and The Three Musketeers.

He is survived by his wife Lydia and his children, Brendan and Holly Anne.