Charlton Heston 'feeling good' after alcohol rehab

Heston said he "nipped the problem in the bud"

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -- Actor Charlton Heston spent several weeks in alcohol rehabilitation earlier this year because his social drinking had gotten out of hand, and he "nipped the problem in the bud," his publicist said Monday.

Heston, 76, famed for playing larger-than-life figures in such film classics as "The Ten Commandments," "Ben-Hur" and "The Agony the Ecstasy," checked himself into a Utah rehabilitation center from late May to mid-June, spokeswoman Lisa DeMatteo said.

The Oscar-winning actor, who has dedicated much of his off-screen time in recent years to his role as president of the National Rifle Association, has since returned to work and is "feeling good," she said.

DeMatteo said Heston did not have a severe alcohol problem but sought rehabilitation because he felt his social drinking had become excessive.

"He leads his life at a pretty hectic pace," said DeMatteo, who was with Heston in Philadelphia for the Republican National Convention.

"There's the Hollywood stuff and campaigning for the Republican Party and speaking at various universities ... and he would go to these receptions and have a lot of rubber chicken and maybe one too many glasses of wine. It happens."

She said Heston was "very proud that he nipped the problem in the bud and that he did it on his own ... and that he took care of the problem immediately."

Heston, former president of the Screen Actors Guild, joined SAG on the picket line earlier this month to protest the McDonalds fast-food chain's use of non-union actors in its commercials during the actors' strike against the advertising industry.

Heston is slated to make his next big-screen appearance in the upcoming film comedy "Town and Country," co-starring Warren Beatty, Diane Keaton and Goldie Hawn.

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