Charlton Heston dies at age 84

The man who iconically played Moses, Ben-Hur, and an astronaut named Taylor, has passed away. One of the last of the larger than life actors who seemed forty feet tall, just like the characters he portrayed on screen.

Charlton Heston was many things in life. In the movies he was a king, a cardinal, a painter, a naval officer, a cowboy, a circus boss, an airline pilot, a futuristic hero, and three presidents. In real life he was a staunch civil rights activist and president of the NRA. As famous for the line "take you stinking hands off me, you damned dirty ape!!" as well as proclaiming "from my cold, dead hand!". And this was only the tip of the iceberg for an actor whose career spanned five decades. It was said once that if Hollywood had a Mount Rushmore, he would be one of the four faces chiseled in stone.

It would be difficult (and lengthy) for me to encompass everything about Mr. Heston's achievements here. Read on in The Los Angeles Times.

Also, click on his photo above to read some lengthy, fascinating trivia about the actor's life.