When you are a young actor, you're imbued with the high purpose of your art. You think, 'They hire me for my talent; if that's not good enough, then they can hire somebody else.' Later, you realize that your body is as much a part of what you do as your talent.

Charlton Heston

It's been quite a ride. I loved every minute of it.

Charlton Heston

Sometimes life drops blessings in your lap without your lifting a finger. Serendipity, they call it.

Charlton Heston

The trouble with movies as a business is that it's an art, and the trouble with movies as art is that it's a business.

Charlton Heston

I'll never forget the blooming happiness that spread in me like the sun coming up when Lydia's obstetrician poked me awake: 'Congratulations... you have a fine son.'

Charlton Heston

All the good modern parts go to Jack Lemmon or Cary Grant.

Charlton Heston

Society mends its wounds. And that's invariably true in all the tragedies, in the comedies as well. And certainly in the histories.

Charlton Heston

As an artist, I understand that, and I value the creative input of the artist.

Charlton Heston

I've played three presidents, three saints and two geniuses - and that's probably enough for any man.

Charlton Heston

And their pals vote for their stuff when they're not on the panel, and it just keeps going that way. And they tend to be very fringe artists, so anything before the 20th century is not worth considering. This is out of date.

Charlton Heston

Acting, taken to the highest level, requires a fierce, total focus of your time and energy at the cost of just about everything else.

Charlton Heston

Undeniably the American art form, too. And yet more and more, we see films made that diminish the American experience and example. And sometimes trash it completely.

Charlton Heston

My appearance qualifies me for historic characterizations, going back to the year one.

Charlton Heston

You can be sure that they'll be showing 'Ben-Hur' somewhere for a long, long time to come.

Charlton Heston

You can spend a lifetime, and, if you're honest with yourself, never once was your work perfect.

Charlton Heston

The film itself, and my role as Moses, will always remain one of the creative peaks of my career.

Charlton Heston

The big studio era is from the coming of sound until 1950, until I came in... I came in at a crux in film, which was the end of the studio era and the rise of filmmaking.

Charlton Heston

To the world, you are America.

Charlton Heston

Dirty Harry, for example. Clint Eastwood was not a rogue cop. He was a maverick cop, but he was a good guy.

Charlton Heston

In recent years, anyone in the government, certainly anyone in the FBI or the CIA, or recently, in again, Clint's film, In the Line of Fire, the main bad guy is the chief advisor to the president.

Charlton Heston

Shakespeare is the outstanding example of how that can be done. In all of Shakespeare's plays, no matter what tragic events occur, no matter what rises and falls, we return to stability in the end.

Charlton Heston