The Planet of the Apes star, aged 81, announced he had Alzheimer's disease in 2002 and, ever since, lived within the perimeter of his Beverly Hills villa. Lately, the disease has worsened and the movie icon's general state has become desperate. Alzheimer's disease affects the patient's brain and erases his memories.
One close friend of the Heston family told the Globe: "He's way beyond the point of slight memory loss and forgetfulness... He can hardly comprehend a thing anymore. Chuck can barely communicate... And he can no longer carry out daily activities, like eating and walking, without assistance. His life, pretty much, consists of sleeping and eating... The most tragic thing is when he breaks down and cries for no reason at all. You wonder what he's thinking about, but there's no way of knowing. That's unbearable to witness."
imdb.com has published this short biography of the star: �With features chiseled in stone, who else but Charlton Heston could you picture as Michelangelo, as Ben-Hur, as Moses? Heston's movie career took off with The Greatest Show on Earth (1952) and reached light speed with Ben-Hur (1959). Although he has played a pantheon of larger-than-life roles, he usually prefers to talk about the day-to-day daily grind of the movie business, and especially credits the writers and directors he has worked for much of his success. Though aging gracefully, the venerated Heston has lately been more interested in promoting right-wing political issues than acting".
For almost half of his life Heston has been the President and public image of the N.R.A (National Rifle Association).
Find us on Google+
