Peck, Gregory (1916-2003), an American motion-picture actor, became known for his performances as honorable, intelligent heroes. Peck won the 1962 Academy Award as best actor for his performance as an ethical small-town Southern lawyer in To Kill a Mockingbird (1962). He appeared in a wide variety of films, including comedies, Westerns, historical dramas, war movies, and films dealing with modern social problems.
Eldred Gregory Peck was born on Apr. 5, 1916, in La Jolla, California. He graduated from the University of California at Berkeley in 1939. Peck was a premedical student at the University of California when he decided on an acting career. He appeared in two plays on Broadway in 1942 before moving to Hollywood to launch a motion-picture career.
Peck made his movie debut in Days of Glory (1944). He soon became a star, winning Academy Award nominations for his performances in The Keys of the Kingdom (1945), The Yearling (1946), Gentleman’s Agreement (1947), and Twelve O’Clock High (1949). Peck’s other major films include Spellbound (1945), Duel in the Sun (1946), The Gunfighter (1950), Roman Holiday (1953), The Man in the Grey Flannel Suit (1955), Designing Woman (1957), The Big Country (1958), Pork Chop Hill (1959), Arabesque (1966), Marooned (1969), The Omen (1976), and Cape Fear (1991).
Peck supported liberal political causes and was active in numerous charities and in the motion-picture industry. He was a member of the National Council on the Arts, president of the American Cancer Society, and president of the Motion Picture Academy of Arts and Sciences. He wrote an autobiography, An Actor’s Life (1978). Peck died on June 12, 2003.
