Heston was one of the greatest action heroes Hollywood's ever seen. He was Harrison Ford before Harrison Ford, an actor so believable in his role as hero, it became nearly impossible to separate the screen persona from the real man. Big roles suited him, epic productions like "Ben-Hur" and "El Cid." Unlike many other actors who get lost in the scope of such massive projects, he had the ability to remain the focus. And no one did Biblical as well as Heston. That great voice of his always sounded like how anyone important back in the days of Kings, Pharoahs and Floods should sound.

But to me, he was the first and true king of Sci-Fi.

First time I ever saw one of his movies was "Planet of the Apes" on TV as a kid back in the 70s. I was completely obsessed with the picture I saw the first "Apes" movie over and over. Then as I got a little older, I saw "Soylent Green" for the first time, then "The Omega Man." All three were made within a five-year period, 1968-1973. You may think, considering Hollywood's last two decades have been sci-fi saturated, that that's not a big deal. But back then, science fiction as a genre was considered box-office poison. You never saw big-name actors doing sci-fi. That's why names like Marlon Brando and Ingrid Bergman turned down roles in "Planet of the Apes." But Heston recognized a great script is a great script no matter what the genre, and he saw that the movie was more than just about a planet where apes ruled. And the rest is history.

Heston recognized the potential science fiction had for compelling storytelling. Look at the genre films he did. "The Omega Man" -- very underrated IMHO -- at its core is about basic human survival, about a man without a race. "Soylent Green," a cautionary tale about planetary overpopulation and the desperate measures that it could spawn. Yes, it has a deliciously creepy plot twist but its story is practically the Webster's definition of what sci-fi should be.
The 1970s is one of the richest eras for science fiction, especially dystopian/apocalyptic tales. Heston played a HUGE part in that, which is why his films remain popular with sci-fi folks like myself.

If Charlton Heston's name was above the title, you knew you weren't in for 'Evil Invaders From Mars' stuff. And it all started with "Apes."

Just as Kubrick changed the genre with "2001" (also a 1968 release), "Planet of the Apes" gave sci-fi credibility. Heston showed his fellow actors working in a science fiction movie doesn't have to lead to ridicule. He waved the flag for the bastard red-headed industry stepchild, and got it a seat at the big boys' table.

That's why every fanboy who has ever dreamed of visiting Tatooine, stepping onto the Mothership, crapped your pants because of "Alien," wondered if “The Matrix” was real or thought for a second that your buddy's a Replicant owes a debt of gratitude to Charlton Heston. Because there's a good chance none of it would have happened if he wouldn't have manned up and gone Ape.

I had the pleasure of meeting him about six months into my TV career, in 1995, when I was a segment producer on a show called "7:30" for a Miami TV station. He was promoting a book, his autobiography I believe, and he dropped by our studio. He was 71, very tall and thin and more fragile looking than I expected. After all, this was a guy fit enough in his mid-40s to wear nothing but a loincloth in "Planet of the Apes" and who was still a believable action hero at 50 in movies like "Airport 75" (which was actually released in 1974) and "Earthquake."
But he still had that presence.

When he walked into the conference room where we taped the interview, everyone just STOPPED. They all just stared at him, as if they couldn't believe they were in the same room with Moses.

The interview was fine. This was around the time his controversial alliance with the NRA had him in the headlines, but old pro that he was, he answered all questions we tossed his way. Then, at the end, my producer – who like me, was a huge “Apes” fan – asks him, "Mr. Heston, thanks for doing the interview with us. But I was wondering ... we're big fans and if you ..." -- Heston just grabbed his wrist and held it and said -- wait for it....
"Get your stinking paws off me, you damned dirty ape."

I'm not a good enough writer to accurately describe how fantastically geeky-cool that moment was. But I know I'll never forget it, or the incredible actor who said it.