Charlton Heston's Real Name: John Charles Carter

Quick answer: The actor is known professionally as Charlton Heston. Britannica and The Guardian independently give the original name John Charles Carter and place his birth in Evanston, Illinois, on October 4, 1923; The Guardian adds that some sources say 1924. Britannica dates his death to April 5, 2008, in Beverly Hills, California. The Guardian, in a report dated April 6, 2008, independently says he died Saturday night at his Beverly Hills home, at age 84, which matches that April 5 date (Britannica; The Guardian).

Real name and early life

Independent publishers support the documented original name John Charles Carter. Britannica says he decided to become an actor after auditioning for a high-school play, received a scholarship to Northwestern University, moved to New York City in 1946, and made his Broadway debut in Antony and Cleopatra (1947). The Guardian independently places the birth in Evanston on October 4, 1923, while noting that some sources say 1924, and says he began his acting career on stage and in television. This page records that year conflict rather than treating 1924 as confirmed.

Career highlights

Britannica says his first Hollywood starring role was in William Dieterle's Dark City (1950), that Cecil B. DeMille then cast him as the circus manager in The Greatest Show on Earth (1952), and that he later starred as Moses in DeMille's The Ten Commandments. It says Ben-Hur (1959), directed by William Wyler, won 11 Academy Awards, including a best actor award for Heston, and also names Touch of Evil (1958) and Planet of the Apes. The Guardian independently names The Ten Commandments (1956), Ben-Hur, Touch of Evil, Planet of the Apes, The Omega Man, and Soylent Green, and says he won the 1959 Oscar for best actor for Ben-Hur.

Death

Britannica dates his death to April 5, 2008, in Beverly Hills, California. The Guardian independently says he died Saturday night at his Beverly Hills home, at age 84, and that he had announced in 2002 that he was in the early stages of Alzheimer's. The Saturday in that April 6, 2008, report is the April 5 date given by Britannica.

Name notes for searchers

People looking up Charlton Heston or John Charles Carter are looking for the same American actor. Independent sources support the original name used in the title.