Remembering Charlton Heston

It was a sad day for Hollywood on Saturday as an immortal, Charlton Heston passed away. Heston possessed a charisma few have had. Wherever he was, he commanded the room. Whether that was his commanding a scene in a movie, giving a speech as the president of the National Rifle Association or campaigning for one of the many causes he championed. Heston considered presidents Kennedy and Reagan friends and marched alongside Martin Luther King Jr. in 1963 fighting for racial equality and helped to end discrimination in Hollywood. According to the Associated Press "Nancy Reagan was heartbroken over Charlton Heston's death. President Bush hailed him as a 'strong advocate for liberty,' while John McCain called Heston a devotee for civil and constitutional rights. Even Michael Moore, who mocked Heston in his gun-control documentary 'Bowling for Columbine,' posted the actor's picture on his Web site to mark his passing."

Heston undoubtedly will be best remembered for his role as Moses in The Ten Commandments, Colonel George Taylor in Planet of the Apes, as well as his role as Judah Ben-Hur in Ben-Hur which won him an Academy Award and is considered by some to be the greatest motion picture of all time. He was a commanding figure who spoke strongly and carried leading man looks. Acting was his passion as he bragged he had acted on every continent except Antarctica.

Not only was Heston a great actor but a great mind. He took over as president of the National Rifle Association and was able to make that organization immediately recognizable. He fought for the defense of the second amendment and was willing to proclaim his views to anyone who would listen. And make no mistake, whenever Heston spoke people listened. He was able to connect with an audience and engage them whether they agreed with him or not. He was unashamed and willing to accept the criticism that accompanied his views. While he took criticism because of his view on gun rights he was not in unfamiliar territory for he had been criticized long before for marching alongside Martin Luther King.