Charlton Heston, Epic Film Star and N.R.A. Leader, Dies at 83

Charlton Heston, who appeared in some 100 films in his 60-year acting career but who is remembered chiefly for his monumental, jut-jawed portrayals of Moses, Ben-Hur and Michelangelo, died Saturday night at his home in Beverly Hills. He was 83.

His death was confirmed by a spokesman for the family, Bill Powers, who declined to discuss the cause.

In August 2002, Mr. Heston announced that he had been diagnosed with neurological symptoms "consistent with Alzheimer's disease."

"I'm neither giving up nor giving in," he said.

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Mr. Heston was always able to channel some energies into the public arena. He was an active supporter of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., calling him "a 20th-century Moses for his people," and participated in the historic march on Washington in 1963.

He served as president of the Screen Actors Guild from 1966 to 1971, following in the footsteps of his friend and role model Ronald Reagan. A registered Democrat for many years, he was nevertheless selective in the candidates he chose to support and often campaigned for conservatives.

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