Are Any of the Main Actors From The Ten Commandments Movie Still Alive?

The Ten Commandments is one of those iconic movies that just about everyone has seen and many have even made watching the epic film a spring tradition every year. There have been other versions of the film over the years but none have had the staying power or have been anywhere near as popular as Cecil B. DeMille’s 1956 classic.

More than 60 years after its release, people still have questions about the main cast and one of those questions is if any of those Hollywood actors are still alive today. Here’s the answer to that plus a few other details you may not have known about the film’s stars.

Charlton Heston

Charlton Heston was born John Charles Carter on Oct. 4, 1923, in Wilmette, Illinois.

Heston worked with DeMille on the 1952 film The Greatest Show on Earth before he was cast in the role of Moses. That legendary performance in The Ten Commandments earned him his first Golden Globe nomination. Three years later, he won an Academy Award for another great performance in Ben-Hur.

Heston’s career spanned six decades and he appeared in more than 100 movies. Some of his other films include Planet of the Apes, Earthquake, Soylent Green, Tombstone, and True Lies.

Heston died on April 5, 2008, in his Beverly Hills home at the age of 84.

Yul Brynner

Besides Heston, the other most recognizable face in The Ten Commandments is that of Yul Brynner who played Rameses II.

Brynner was born Yuliy Borisovich Briner on July 11, 1920. He enjoyed success in a number of other roles on the big screen and Broadway throughout his career including as the character King Mongkut in The King and I for which he received two Tony Awards and an Academy Award.

The actor, who was married four times, passed away on Oct. 10, 1985, of lung cancer at the age of 65.

Anne Baxter

Anne Baxter played the beautiful Queen Nefretiri in the award-winning movie.

The actress was born on May 7, 1923, in Michigan City, Indiana. She made her film debut in the 1940 flick 20 Mule Team and starred in a number of other movies over the years. One of her most notable roles was in All About Eve which she starred in with Bette Davis.

Baxter died on Dec. 12, 1985, after suffering a stroke at age 62. 

Edward G. Robinson

One of the most disliked characters in the film was Dathan who was played by Edward G Robinson.

The actor was born Emanuel Goldenberg on Dec. 12, 1893, in Bucharest, Romania. His family moved to the states when he was 10 years old and he developed a love for acting. In addition to The Ten Commandments, Robinson also starred in Little Caesar, Key Largo, The Stranger, and his final film, Soylent Green, in which he was reunited with Heston. 

Robinson died on Jan. 26, 1973, at the age of 79.

Yvonne De Carlo

Yvonne de Carlo, who played Moses’ wife, Sephora, was born on Sept. 1, 1922, in Vancouver, Canada. However, that’s not the only popular role she was known for playing. De Carlo’s also starred in the TV show The Munsters from 1964 to 1966 as Lily Munster.

On Jan. 8, 2007, she died of natural causes in Los Angeles at the age of 84.

John Derek

John Derek played the memorable role of Joshua in the classic film.

The actor was born Derek Delevan Harris on Aug. 12, 1926, in Los Angeles. Over the years he starred in several other movies and later got into directing.

In 1976, he married his fourth wife, Bo Derek, and is credited with helping her career take off.

He died on May 22, 1998, in Santa Maria, California, at the age of 71.

Debra Paget

Debra Paget, who played Joshua’s girlfriend, Lilia, is the only one of the film’s main stars who is still alive today.

She was born on Aug. 19, 1933, in Denver, Colorado. Her siblings Teala Loring, Lisa Gaye, and Frank Griffin were all in the entertainment business as well. Paget landed her first movie role in the 1948 film Cry of the City. Some of her other acting credits over the years have included the 1950 western Broken Arrow and the 1956 musical Love Me Tender with Elvis
Presley.

She retired after marrying her third husband, Chinese oil executive Louis C. Kung, in 1964 but after they divorced in 1980 she began hosting a religious show on the Trinity Broadcasting Network.

Today, Paget resides in Texas.

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