Gregory Peck

Eldred Gregory Peck (April 5, 1916 - June 12, 2003) was an influential American actor throughout the mid-20th century. He gained popularity with numerous critically acclaimed films from the 1940s to the 1960s. In 1999, the American Film Institute ranked him as the 12th-greatest male star of classical Hollywood cinema. Initially, Peck's career kicked off with stage productions, contributing to more than 50 plays and three Broadway productions. His breakthrough came with the film The Keys of the Kingdom (1944) which made him earn his first Academy Award nomination. Peck starred in countless successful films, some of which include romantic drama The Valley of Decision (1944), Alfred Hitchcock's Spellbound (1945), and the family film The Yearling (1946). His reach extended globally throughout the 1950s and 60s, appearing in several adaptations such as Captain Horatio Hornblower (1951) and David and Bathsheba (1951). Peck received substantial acclaim for his performance as Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird (1962), exploring racial inequality. He maintained his acting career beyond his youthful years, notably starring as a Catholic priest who saved several escaped Allied POWs and Jewish people during WWII in The Scarlet and The Black (1983). Apart from acting, he was also active in politics and humanitarian efforts.

Peck was born in San Diego, California, raised as a Catholic due to his family's conversion. During his early years, Peck was sent to a Catholic military school, followed by studies at San Diego High School and a brief enrollment at San Diego State Teacher's College. He then transferred to University of California, Berkeley where he initially pursued medicine but was eventually drawn towards acting. His parents divorced while he was young and he encountered tragic losses and mental health issues in his later years, which were often reflected in his multifaceted and sensitive acting roles. He died of bronchopneumonia in 2003.