Charlton Heston passes away at 84

The afterlife welcomed a legend Saturday evening, as actor Charlton Heston took his last breath at the age of 84, reports the Associated Press.

Heston was a powerful force in Hollywood during one of cinema's most formative eras, delivering the modern-day mold of a leading man before George Clooney was even in diapers. His lengthy list of credits spans several genres, but the Oscar-winning actor was the "go-to man" for epics, delivering one of film's finest action performances in 1959's Ben-Hur during a time when special effects were pretty much limited to a band-aid and dirt.

Heston also won acclaim for his portrayal of Moses in The Ten Commandments, a major epic for its time. Science fiction also owes Heston a great deal, as he starred in The Omega Man, Planet of the Apes, and Soylent Green.

While Heston was best known for his film roles, he also spent a fair amount of time on the small screen. For three years, Heston played Jason Colby in The Colbys, a spin-off of Dynasty.

Heston was also an activist, serving as the president of The Screen Actors Guild, but widely gained notoriety (both good and bad) as the leader of the pro-firearms National Rifle Association (NRA).

Heston died in his home in Beverly Hills with his wife by his side. In 2003, he announced he was suffering from symptoms related to Alzheimer's.