Thanks for the very thorough bio from a 3rd gen. Calif. 72 yr. old , conservative. Charlton Heston was real and steadfast. I feel the author's opinion of, "grew more conservative" (pg.1) and "latter day activism" (pg. 2), etc., just shows a typical lack of understanding, probably due to youth and others' attempts at historical revisionism.

Heston did not change his core beliefs. We true conservatives have always been for equality but realized that is would come through education and knowing your neighbors at a grass roots level, not by Federal government mandate. We have all seen how "successful" afirmative action has been. It disrupted neighborhoods, encouraged even greater splits between humanity for negative influence and prevented locals from finding solutions. Education still suffers today from the legal occurrances in the 60s. I sure wish MLK could come back and tells us where the trolley left the tracks.
Thank you Charlton Heston!
Ann M. Adam, Las Vegas, NV

Ann M. Adam, Las Vegas, NV / U.S.A.

He was head and shoulders a man above men.

He gave me so much pleasure as a child in his films. Much like Big John and Steve McQueen..............all gone such a great loss........................

mike, Scarboro, UK

He was the last one of all the biggest actors on earth.
I remember being small and he playing Moses, or Ben Hur, or El Cid.... he impressed me deeply.. as an actor... as a "hero".
My favorite actor ever. Wishes to his family.
His statements against "Gun Control"... well... each one has freedom to show one's thoughts.
One thing is true: it is not the gun that makes a man kill another but it is mostly the man behind the gun that makes his final choice. It's not the car that kills but the man behind the wheel.
In fact, men must be more consciousness of themselves and of the others. That's all !!!! The human being is a wild, illogical animal. That's the only truth and that hurts !!

Mara, Forges les Bains, France

A great actor, sadly let down by his sub culture mentality that is the "privelige" of gun ownership.

F.S.Summers, NY,

Please do not judge Charlton Heston negatively based on British attitudes towards gun control, which appear to be very different from those prevailing in the USA. Please remember that Britain and the USA are very different countries with different histories, needs and conditions:

Americans treasure their right to keep and bear arms because historically, guns provided security as well as food on the table. In a vast country, where the nearest lawman may be six hundred miles away, when the outlaw, the hostile indian, the bear or the cougar knocked on your door....Who you gonna call?

The vastness of America still prevails, and for the vast majority of Americans there is no Bobby walking up and down outside our windows!
Americans MUST be self-reliant for their personal safety and that of their homes and families. There simply are not, and could never be, sufficient lawmen to ensure the safety of 300 million people spread accross the North American continent.

Garth Rex, Glendale Heights, USA/IL

He was the last one of all the biggest actors on earth.
I remember being small and he playing Moses, and Ben Hur, and El Cid.... he impressed me deeply.. as an actor... as a "hero".
My favorite actor ever, RIP. Wishes to the family.
His statements against "Gun Control"... well... each one has freedom to show one's thoughts.
One thing is true: it is not the gun that makes a man kill another but it is mostly the man behind the gun that makes his final choice. It's not the car that kills but the man behind the wheel.
In fact, men must be more consciousness of themselves and of the others. That's all !!!! The human being is a wild, illogical animal. That's the only truth and that hurts !!

Mara, Forges les Bains,

Stephen Manick, for someone objecting to superciliousness, your post absolutely reeks of it - what a smug, snobbish, nasty little comment. I'm not of Heston's generation either and certainly didn't agree with his later political beliefs or his views on gun ownership , but I'll remember him for some great films, a few of which I suspect will linger in successive generation's' memories for a great deal longer than so much of the contemporary, irony-drowned, smug, self-referential cinematic dross from my own generation. Also, the idea that we can only ever admire the work of actors - or writers, artists, musicians, composers, etc - who personal moral and political values reflect our own is self-limiting, adolescent-level, PC nonsense.

By the way, Martin Luther King Jnr and Gandhi, to name a couple of true giants, weren't of your generation either - does this mean you disregard their work or are you selective as to which previous generations' figures you write off as 'irrelevant'?

Ruth , Glasgow, Scotland

Charlton Heston was still alive?
I thought he was born during the times of the Roman Empire...jokes.
His movie roles were so realistic the man will live for ever.
Until Judgment Day, that is. God will then decide how he really preformed on Earth...especially as Moses.

jayil, london, uk

Charleton Heston was one of the most handsome and masculine male public figure of my lifetime. He was also an intelligent and thoughtful man, who removed himself from the public scene when it was time. But best of all, he was a true American who believed it was a right of all decent people to be as free as possible, with very few rights impinged by the government. Rest in peace, sir, you deserve it.

Marcella Smith, Galena, Ohio, U.S.A.

No great loss I say.

Raph, Mumbai,

He was not an actor of my generation and to be frank there were better actors in his. The only image he conjures emanates from his supercilious reaction to Michael Moore in the wake of the Columbine massacre. To revere him for the craft of acting is to excuse his true character as an inhumane, remorseless man. His passing means nothing to me, the sooner we can forget him the better.

Stephen Manick, Port of Spain, Trinidad

So, did they pry his gun from his "cold, dead hands", then?

Bob Shore, Buffalo, NY

Poor deluded old gentleman. His acting career is overshadowed by his crazy views on gun laws. I for one wont miss him a bit.

David Postle, London, ENGLAND

Charles Heston was the only respectable person in Hollywood he will be sadly missed by the world. My sympathy goes to his family and his lovely wife and children.

daphne kenward, Cambridge, UK

a true great screen legend
who will on through his
wonderful films who can
ever forget the end to
planet of the apes
thanks chuck rip

lee b, birmingham,

HE was, along with Robert Michum, my favourite actor - and now he has has gone riding ahead.

Arnold Ward, Weybridge, Surrey, UK

thank you Charles Heston for your passionate works/great contribution to some great films!!

san, croydon, uk

I have just read the news and as a 74 year old fan of this larger than life actor I cried. Now that says it all.

Michale , Taunton, England

It's always tragic when one dies so young!

Matt, Napoli, Italy

Charlton Heston was perhaps the greatest American actor of all time. People forget he played in the theatre and was a fine classical actor: a distant relatrive of mine, Godfrey Tearle, was so impressed with his performance in Godfrey's 1947 production of Antony and Cleopatra he invited Heston to reprise the role at Stratford later that year: Equity vetoed it.
Thanks, Charlton for so many great performances and best5 wishes to Mrs Heston and his family.....

Richard Tearle, Lichfield, United Kingdom

There goes one of the greatest actors of all time. May he rest in peace.

Sebastian, Franfurt am Main, Germany