In 'Planet of the Apes' (1968), what is the name of the astronaut?

In Planet of the Apes (1968), the astronaut is George Taylor. Played by Charlton Heston, Taylor is the commander of a 20th-century space expedition whose spacecraft reaches a strange planet in the distant future.

Taylor and fellow astronauts Landon and Dodge awaken from suspended animation after their ship crashes. The film identifies the year as 3978, although the crew believes they are far from Earth. Taylor is captured after being shot in the throat by gorillas and is initially treated as a mute, primitive human by the planet’s intelligent ape society.

Chimpanzee scientists Zira and Cornelius discover that Taylor can think and communicate. His ability to speak eventually exposes him as an intelligent outsider and makes him a threat to the authorities, especially Dr. Zaius. Taylor’s investigation leads to the film’s famous final revelation: the planet is actually a future Earth, transformed after human civilization destroyed itself.

The name George Taylor is sometimes overlooked because the film usually calls him simply “Taylor.” His first name is identified in the end credits, making George Taylor the accepted canonical answer. Dr. Zaius, Zira, and Cornelius are important ape characters, not astronauts.