Conger

The actor Charlton Heston died on April 6 at his home in Beverly Hills from complications of Alzheimer’s disease, his family has announced. He was 83.

A staple of Hollywood films for decades, Heston won an Oscar for his portrayal of Ben-Hur and was also active in American political and social life, marching with Dr. Martin Luther King in the early 1960’s in support of civil rights, and later serving as president and spokesman for the National Rifle Association and the Screen Actors Guild.

“I have played three presidents, three saints and two geniuses in my career,” Heston once quipped. “If that doesn’t create an ego problem, nothing does.”

A statement released by his family 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. 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.”

In 2002 he announced he was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. “I must reconcile courage and surrender in equal measure,” he said at the time.

A professed Christian, Heston’s portrayal of Ben Hur, Moses, John the Baptist, Michelangelo, General Gordon and El Cid established him as one of the finest actors of his era. Heston’s performances in Ben Hur and The Ten Commandments are regularly broadcast around Christmas and Easter and have formed much of their understanding of Old Testament history.

Heston also served as president of the Episcopal Actors Guild from 1971-1974. A New York charitable society that supports stage actors, the Episcopal Actors Guild was founded in 1923, doubling as a social and artistic center for its members while supporting performers in distressed circumstances.

The Guild’s first president was George Arliss and its membership has included stage and screen actors ranging from Ethel Barrymore to Fred Astaire, Laurence Olivier to Boris Karloff, Jack Benny to Sid Caesar.

Located at the Church of the Transfiguration in New York City, the Guild’s current advisory board includes the bishops of New York and actors Charles Durning, Elizabeth Franz, Rosemary Harris, Celeste Holm, Timothy Hutton, Earle Hyman, Swoosie Kurtz, Angela Lansbury, Cliff Robertson, Campbell Scott, Marian Seldes, Jean Stapleton, Frances Sternhagen and Richard Thomas.

Over the past ten years, the Guild has dispersed over £500,000 in assistance grants to struggling actors, allowing them to continue their careers in the face of financial need.