Charlton Heston has died

By M&C People Apr 6, 2008, 7:41 GMT

A file picture dated 1959 shows US actor Charlton Heston in a still from the movie \'Ben Hur\'. Charlton Heston, who won the 1959 best actor Oscar as the chariot-racing \'Ben-Hur\' and portrayed Moses, Michelangelo, El Cid and other heroic figures in movie epics of the \'50s and \'60s, has died. EPA/MGM - HANDOUT

Charlton Heston, who won the Oscar as the chariot-racing "Ben-Hur" in 1959, and portrayed Moses, Michelangelo, El Cid and other epic figures in movies of the '50s and '60s, has died. He was 83 according to the New York Times.  The Los Angeles Times and People claim his age was 84.

The actor died Saturday night at his home in Beverly Hills with his wife Lydia at his side, family spokesman Bill Powers said.

Powers declined to comment on the cause of death or provide further details.

Heston is survived by a son, a daughter and three grandchildren.

"We knew him as an adoring husband, a kind and devoted father, and a gentle grandfather, with an infectious sense of humor," the family said. "He served these far greater roles with tremendous faith, courage and dignity. He loved deeply, and he was deeply loved."

The family said it would hold a private memorial service.

IMDB listed 126 movies and television production credits for Heston, starting in 1941.

Heston's last acting credit was the role of Josef Mengele, the Auschwitz Nazi surgeon who performed medical experiments on concentration camp refugees during World War Two.

Heston was also known for his four-year NRA presidency and his political activism.

CNN reports that he was a supporter of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his civil rights movement. He attended King's 1963 March on Washington and was near the podium as King delivered his "I have a dream" speech.

Heston was Born John Charles Carter in Evanston, Illinois on Oct. 4, 1924. He took the surname Heston after his mother divorced and remarried when he was 10