Iconic Hollywood actor Charlton Heston, best known for his portrayal of a larger than life figure in the 1959 Oscar-winning film Ben Hur, is dead. He was 84.

Heston died at his Beverly Hills home on Saturday night with his wife of 64 years, Lydia, by his side, the family said.

The superstar, who was believed to be suffering from the late stages of Alzheimer's disease, is survived by a son and a daughter and three grandchildren.

"Charlton Heston was seen by the world as larger than life. He was known for his chiselled jaw, broad shoulders and resonating voice, and, of course, for the roles he played," the family said in a statement.

"No one could ask for a fuller life than his. No man could have given more to his family, to his profession, and to his country."

The family said it would hold a private memorial service while no funeral plans have been announced.

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

Heston rose to fame in the 1950s with starring in movies like Ben Hur, for which he won an Oscar. He played Moses in the Ten Commandments.
 
Heston's last acting assignment was playing an elderly Josef Mengele, the Auschwitz Nazi surgeon who performed medical experiments on concentration camp refugees during World War Two, in the 2003 movie My Father, Rua Alguem 5555.

Known for his political activism, Heston was a high-profile supporter of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. He was also President of the National Rifle Association from 1998 to 2002.

Born John Charles Carter in Evanston, Illinois, on October 4, 1924, he took the surname Heston after his mother divorced and remarried when he was 10. His name was driven from his mother's maiden name Charlton and his stepfather's surname.

Heston disclosed in 2002 that he had symptoms consistent with Alzheimer's disease, saying 'I must reconcile courage and surrender in equal measure'.

Publicist Michael Levine, who represented Heston for about 20 years, said the Hollywood legend's death was the end of an 'iconic era' for cinema.

Heston, who stepped down as NRA president in April 2003, was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honour, later the same year.

"The largeness of character that comes across the screen has also been seen throughout his life," President George W Bush [Images] had said at the time.

Heston acted in some of the most acclaimed ad successful films apart from Ben Hur, which won 11 Academy Awards. His other hits include: The Ten Commandments, El Cid, 55 Days at Peking, Planet of the Apes and Earthquake.

Heston was not the first choice for Ben Hur, the remake of the 1925 biblical epic. The role went to him after Marlon Brando, Burt Lancaster and Rock Hudson declined the film. He rehearsed for two months for the chariot race scene.

He became one of the highest-paid actors in Hollywood after the huge success of Ben Hur. Heston also wrote several books including The Actor's Life: Journals 1956-76 and In the Arena: An Autobiography.

Image: File photo of Heston after he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by US President George Bush [Images] in an East Room ceremony at the White House on July 23, 2003.
Reportage: PTI | Photograph: Stephen Jaffe/AFP/Getty Images