Condolences to Gregory Peck
Oscar-winning actor passed away during the night early Thursday morning.
Academy Award-winning actor Gregory Peck, best known for his Oscar-winning role as Atticus Finch in 1962's To Kill a Mockingbird, passed away late Wednesday night/Thursday morning. He was 87 years old. Monroe Friedman, a spokesman for the estate, confirmed that Peck had died overnight.
Born Eldred Gregory Peck on April 5, 1916, in La Jolla, CA, Peck's parents divorced when he was six years old. Growing up, he spent his time going back and forth between his parents, also spending some time with his maternal grandmother. He then attended the Roman Catholic military academy in Los Angeles and then went on to the University of California at Berkeley.
After graduating with an English degree, Peck moved to New York where he worked odd jobs. He then, after studying with Sanford Mesisner and Martha Graham, made his Broadway debut in Morning Star.
As an actor, Peck became known for his noble roles in which his character generally followed a strict code of ethics. In 1947 he played a reporter trying to fight off the evils of anti-semitism in the Oscar-winning film Gentleman's Agreement, he played a dignified military officer in 1961's The Guns of Navarone and even the President of the United States with 1987's Amazing Grace and Chuck.
Peck was never typecast, however. He also played his share of villains and conflicted characters. He starred as the troubled father in the original Cape Fear and played a Nazi being hunted by Laurence Olivier in 1978's The Boys From Brazil. He could also pull off comedy as he did in Roman Holiday (1953), starring opposite Audrey Hepburn, who went on to win an Oscar for the role.
Throughout his decorated career, Peck was nominated for five Academy Awards for his roles in The Keys of the Kingdom, The Yearling, Gentlemen's Agreement, Twelve O'Clock High and Mockingbird. In 1968, he was also honored with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award.
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association honored Peck with five Golden Globe Awards, and they also bestowed the Cecil B. DeMille Award upon him in 1969. He earned his most recent Globe in 1999 for his work in TV's Moby Dick, which also earned him an Emmy nomination.
Just last week, Peck's Atticus Finch was named the number one hero in movie history by the American Film Institute.
Peck served as president of the Motion Picture Academy and worked closely with the Motion Picture and Television Fund, the National Endowment for the Arts and the American Cancer Society.
Peck has an ex-wife, Greta Peck, with whom he had three sons: Jonathan, Stephen and Carey. At the age of 30, Jonathan, a TV reporter, committed suicide. The star married Veronique Passani, a Paris reporter, in 1954. They had two children, Anthony and Cecilia, both actors.
Oscar-winning actor passed away during the night early Thursday morning.
Academy Award-winning actor Gregory Peck, best known for his Oscar-winning role as Atticus Finch in 1962's To Kill a Mockingbird, passed away late Wednesday night/Thursday morning. He was 87 years old. Monroe Friedman, a spokesman for the estate, confirmed that Peck had died overnight.
Born Eldred Gregory Peck on April 5, 1916, in La Jolla, CA, Peck's parents divorced when he was six years old. Growing up, he spent his time going back and forth between his parents, also spending some time with his maternal grandmother. He then attended the Roman Catholic military academy in Los Angeles and then went on to the University of California at Berkeley.
After graduating with an English degree, Peck moved to New York where he worked odd jobs. He then, after studying with Sanford Mesisner and Martha Graham, made his Broadway debut in Morning Star.
As an actor, Peck became known for his noble roles in which his character generally followed a strict code of ethics. In 1947 he played a reporter trying to fight off the evils of anti-semitism in the Oscar-winning film Gentleman's Agreement, he played a dignified military officer in 1961's The Guns of Navarone and even the President of the United States with 1987's Amazing Grace and Chuck.
Peck was never typecast, however. He also played his share of villains and conflicted characters. He starred as the troubled father in the original Cape Fear and played a Nazi being hunted by Laurence Olivier in 1978's The Boys From Brazil. He could also pull off comedy as he did in Roman Holiday (1953), starring opposite Audrey Hepburn, who went on to win an Oscar for the role.
Throughout his decorated career, Peck was nominated for five Academy Awards for his roles in The Keys of the Kingdom, The Yearling, Gentlemen's Agreement, Twelve O'Clock High and Mockingbird. In 1968, he was also honored with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award.
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association honored Peck with five Golden Globe Awards, and they also bestowed the Cecil B. DeMille Award upon him in 1969. He earned his most recent Globe in 1999 for his work in TV's Moby Dick, which also earned him an Emmy nomination.
Just last week, Peck's Atticus Finch was named the number one hero in movie history by the American Film Institute.
Peck served as president of the Motion Picture Academy and worked closely with the Motion Picture and Television Fund, the National Endowment for the Arts and the American Cancer Society.
Peck has an ex-wife, Greta Peck, with whom he had three sons: Jonathan, Stephen and Carey. At the age of 30, Jonathan, a TV reporter, committed suicide. The star married Veronique Passani, a Paris reporter, in 1954. They had two children, Anthony and Cecilia, both actors.
