CHARLTON HESTON A True AMERICAN HERO

THE OSCAR-WINNING ACTOR BELIEVED IN SERVING HIS COUNTRY AND FIGHTING FOR WHAT'S RIGHT

- Lisa Chambers

Many people assume Charlton Heston was as imposing in life as he was in his movies. And the handsome, 6-foot-3 star could be. His son, Fraser Heston, recalls to Closer that as a child, he thought his dad was a professional charioteer. “In Rome, when making Ben-Hur, he'd come home in costume and bring me a big sack of sand from the arena [where they filmed the famed chariot race] and say, Son, this is not just any sand. This is MGM sand!”

A boy might naturally be awed by his father, but at home, The Ten Commandments star was warm and approachable, a devoted family man who was married to his wife, Lydia, for 64 years. Unlike many celebrities, he managed to balance family, career and activism, including championing civil rights and other causes that required courage and conviction. “A lot of people look at him as this sort of overly conservative, rigid, Old Testament guy," says Fraser. “Despite his political leanings, he wasn't that sort of person at all. He was a very loving, engaging, funny guy."

LEADING BY EXAMPLE