Charlton Heston's Son Fraser Opens up about His Late Dad in a Candid Interview

Heston's son insists the "Planet of The Apes" star was not a "gun-nut," but a patriot defending the American constitution in a candid interview.

When most people hear the name Charlton Heston, they remember the remarkable actor starring in the 20th-century blockbuster, "The Ten Commandments" (1958), and the pioneering sci-fi hit; "Planet of the Apes."

However, some remember Heston as a staunch conservative and supporter of the National Rifle Association of America (NRA). In an interview with Fox News, Heston's son, Fraser, sheds some light on the kind of father, husband, and person, the revered actor was.

Fraser, who himself featured in Planets of the Apes, as a baby, is currently working on a documentary about his father's life titled: "Charlton Heston - The Man in the Arena."

The younger Heston recalls feeling very lucky growing up as he "won the parents lottery," describing their household as a very loving one. He told Fox:

"Both of my parents were wonderful. They came from the Greatest Generation stock in the Midwest."

Fraser expressed that the Heston family was always on a solid foundation thanks to his loving, reasonable, understanding, and tolerant parents who were married for 65 years.

According to him, Charlton Heston and his wife, Lydia Marie Clark, loved being married to each other and were dedicated to exposing their children to different cultures, art, travel, theater, and literature.

Fraser also elaborates on his father's approach to his work, establishing that Heston felt very privileged to be making movies and never took the significance of his projects and the platform that was built on them for granted.

The moviemaker recalls that his father was intolerant of any irresponsibility on the parts of his fellow actors. According to Fraser, Heston believed: "To make a movie, be alongside such amazing talent and earn more money than you know what to do with it was a great privilege, so it was ridiculous to be late."

Despite being a conservative, Heston marched with Martin Luther King and supported the civil rights movement. Although he was revered for his film work, Heston often came under scrutiny for his political beliefs.

He was a strong conservative who also staunchly supported the NRA, an association dedicated to preserving Americans' legal rights to bear arms.

However, despite Heston's 5-term service as president of the NRA, Fraser insists his father was not a proponent of gun violence of any kind. Fraser told Fox:

"He wasn't a gun nut. He did not have a basement full of machine guns as he's been depicted on the Internet. He was simply an American patriot."

Fraser recalls that after serving in World War II, his father wanted to protect his nation and its constitution. "He marched to Washington with Martin Luther King.

He was a great supporter of civil rights, Fraser recalled, before adding that Heston often went out of his way to show gratitude to U.S soldiers in war-ravaged areas and kept in touch with their families afterward. Charlton Heston died, aged 84, of Alzheimer's disease in 2008. He is survived by his wife and two children.