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 Eldred Gregory Peck was born on April 5, 1916 in La Jolla, California, to Bernice Mae (Ayres) and Gregory Pearl Peck, a chemist and druggist in San Diego. He had Irish (from his paternal grandmother), English, and some German, ancestry. His parents divorced when he was five years old. An only child, he was sent to live with his grandmother. He never felt he had a stable childhood. His fondest memories are of his grandmother taking him to the movies every week and of his dog, which followed him everywhere. He studied pre-med at UC-Berkeley and, while there, got bitten by the acting bug and decided to change the focus of his studies. He enrolled in the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York and debuted on Broadway after graduation. His debut was in Emlyn Williams' play "The Morning Star" (1942). By 1943, he was in Hollywood, where he debuted in the RKO film Days of Glory (1944).Stardom came with his next film, The Keys of the Kingdom (1944), for which he was nominated for an Academy Award. Peck's screen presence displayed the qualities for which he became well known. He was tall, rugged and heroic, with a basic decency that transcended his roles. He appeared in Alfred Hitchcock's Spellbound (1945) as an amnesia victim accused of murder. In The Yearling (1946), he was again nominated for an Academy Award and won the Golden Globe. He was especially effective in westerns and appeared in such varied fare as David O. Selznick's critically blasted Duel in the Sun (1946), the somewhat better received Yellow Sky (1948) and the acclaimed The Gunfighter (1950). He was nominated again for the Academy Award for his roles in Gentleman's Agreement (1947), which dealt with anti-Semitism, and Twelve O'Clock High (1949), a story of high-level stress in an Air Force bomber unit in World War II.With a string of hits to his credit, Peck made the decision to only work in films that interested him. He continued to appear as the heroic, larger-than-life figures in such films as Captain Horatio Hornblower (1951) and Moby Dick (1956). He worked with Audrey Hepburn in her debut film, Roman Holiday (1953). Peck finally won the Oscar, after four nominations, for his performance as lawyer Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird (1962). In the early 1960s, he appeared in two darker films than he usually made, Cape Fear (1962) and Captain Newman, M.D. (1963), which dealt with the way people live. He also gave a powerful performance as Captain Keith Mallory in The Guns of Navarone (1961), one of the biggest box-office hits of that year.In the early 1970s, he produced two films, The Trial of the Catonsville Nine (1972) and The Dove (1974), when his film career stalled. He made a comeback playing, somewhat woodenly, Robert Thorn in the horror film The Omen (1976). After that, he returned to the bigger-than-life roles he was best known for, such as MacArthur (1977) and the monstrous Nazi Dr. Josef Mengele in the huge hit The Boys from Brazil (1978). In the 1980s, he moved into television with the miniseries The Blue and the Gray (1982) and The Scarlet and the Black (1983). In 1991, he appeared in the remake of his 1962 film, playing a different role, in Martin Scorsese's Cape Fear (1991). He was also cast as the progressive-thinking owner of a wire and cable business in Other People's Money (1991).In 1967, Peck received the Academy's Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award. He was also been awarded the US Presidential Medal of Freedom. Always politically progressive, he was active in such causes as anti-war protests, workers' rights and civil rights. In 2003, his Peck's portrayal of Atticus Finch was named the greatest film hero of the past 100 years by the American Film Institute. Gregory Peck died at age 87 on June 12, 2003 in Los Angeles, California.
Bio:
Eldred Gregory Peck was born on April 5, 1916 in La Jolla, California, to Bernice Mae (Ayres) and Gregory Pearl Peck, a chemist and druggist in San Diego. He had Irish (from his paternal grandmother), English, and some German, ancestry. His parents divorced when he was five years old. An only child, he was sent to live with his grandmother. He never felt he had a stable childhood. His fondest memories are of his grandmother taking him to the movies every week and of his dog, which followed him everywhere. He studied pre-med at UC-Berkeley and, while there, got bitten by the acting bug and decided to change the focus of his studies. He enrolled in the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York and debuted on Broadway after graduation. His debut was in Emlyn Williams' play "The Morning Star" (1942). By 1943, he was in Hollywood, where he debuted in the RKO film Days of Glory (1944).Stardom came with his next film, The Keys of the Kingdom (1944), for which he was nominated for an Academy Award. Peck's screen presence displayed the qualities for which he became well known. He was tall, rugged and heroic, with a basic decency that transcended his roles. He appeared in Alfred Hitchcock's Spellbound (1945) as an amnesia victim accused of murder. In The Yearling (1946), he was again nominated for an Academy Award and won the Golden Globe. He was especially effective in westerns and appeared in such varied fare as David O. Selznick's critically blasted Duel in the Sun (1946), the somewhat better received Yellow Sky (1948) and the acclaimed The Gunfighter (1950). He was nominated again for the Academy Award for his roles in Gentleman's Agreement (1947), which dealt with anti-Semitism, and Twelve O'Clock High (1949), a story of high-level stress in an Air Force bomber unit in World War II.With a string of hits to his credit, Peck made the decision to only work in films that interested him. He continued to appear as the heroic, larger-than-life figures in such films as Captain Horatio Hornblower (1951) and Moby Dick (1956). He worked with Audrey Hepburn in her debut film, Roman Holiday (1953). Peck finally won the Oscar, after four nominations, for his performance as lawyer Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird (1962). In the early 1960s, he appeared in two darker films than he usually made, Cape Fear (1962) and Captain Newman, M.D. (1963), which dealt with the way people live. He also gave a powerful performance as Captain Keith Mallory in The Guns of Navarone (1961), one of the biggest box-office hits of that year.In the early 1970s, he produced two films, The Trial of the Catonsville Nine (1972) and The Dove (1974), when his film career stalled. He made a comeback playing, somewhat woodenly, Robert Thorn in the horror film The Omen (1976). After that, he returned to the bigger-than-life roles he was best known for, such as MacArthur (1977) and the monstrous Nazi Dr. Josef Mengele in the huge hit The Boys from Brazil (1978). In the 1980s, he moved into television with the miniseries The Blue and the Gray (1982) and The Scarlet and the Black (1983). In 1991, he appeared in the remake of his 1962 film, playing a different role, in Martin Scorsese's Cape Fear (1991). He was also cast as the progressive-thinking owner of a wire and cable business in Other People's Money (1991).In 1967, Peck received the Academy's Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award. He was also been awarded the US Presidential Medal of Freedom. Always politically progressive, he was active in such causes as anti-war protests, workers' rights and civil rights. In 2003, his Peck's portrayal of Atticus Finch was named the greatest film hero of the past 100 years by the American Film Institute. Gregory Peck died at age 87 on June 12, 2003 in Los Angeles, California.
Tivia:
In 1996 veteran character actor Richard Jaeckel, Peck's co-star in The Gunfighter (1950), was diagnosed with cancer, and his wife had Alzheimer's disease. The Jaeckels had lost their Brentwood home and were over $1 million in debt, leaving them basically homeless. His family tried unsuccessfully to place him in the Motion Picture and Television Country Home and Hospital. Once Peck lobbied for Jaeckel's admittance, he was treated within three days. Jaeckel stayed in the hospital until his death on 6/14/97.Formed a solid friendship with Mary Badham, who played his daughter "Scout" in To Kill a Mockingbird (1962). They remained in contact until his passing. According to Badham, she always called him "Atticus" and he always called her "Scout".He took in former co-star Ava Gardner's housekeeper and dog after her death on 1/25/90.Of his own movies, To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) is his favorite.Marched with Martin Luther King.Appeared on President Richard Nixon's infamous "enemies list" in 1972.His character from To Kill a Mockingbird (1962), Atticus Finch, was voted the greatest screen hero of all time by the American Film Institute in May 2003, only two weeks before his death (beating out Indiana Jones, who was placed second, and James Bond who came third).Became friends with Audrey Hepburn after working with her in Roman Holiday (1953). Peck successfully persuaded Paramount executives to give her star billing equal to his, rather than "Introducing" credit, because he strongly believed the film rested dramatically on her character's -- and Hepburn's -- shoulders, and not his. Indeed, Hepburn went on to win the Academy Award for Best Actress at the 1954 Oscars and they both remained close until her death in 1993. That same year, Peck presented her son Sean Hepburn Ferrer with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in recognition for her work with UNICEF.His favorite drink was Guinness, which he drank every day. Eventually he had a tap installed in the bar at his house.President of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) from 1967-70. He made the decision to postpone the 1968 Oscar ceremony after Martin Luther King's assassination.Cited that his favorite leading ladies were Audrey Hepburn, Ingrid Bergman and Ava Gardner.When he was the President of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, he lobbied the organization's Board of Governors to make animated feature films eligible for nomination as Best Picture. It wasn't until 1991 that Disney's Beauty and the Beast (1991) became the first animated film to be nominated for Best Picture, although it did not win.A physically powerful man, he was known to do a majority of his own fight scenes, rarely using body or stunt doubles. Robert Mitchum, his on-screen opponent in Cape Fear (1962), said that Peck once accidentally punched him for real during their final fight scene. He recalled feeling the impact of the punch for days afterward and said, "I don't feel sorry for anyone dumb enough who picks a fight with him".Turned down Yves Montand's role in Let's Make Love (1960) because he didn't want to work with Marilyn Monroe.Son, Stephen did a tour in Vietnam with the Marine Corps. Peck was proud of his son's military service even though he disagreed with the war itself.In 1980, stating he was worried about the 600,000 jobs hanging on the survival of the Chrysler Corp., he volunteered to become an unpaid TV pitchman for the company.During his lean days, he supported himself as a Radio City Music Hall tour guide and a catalog model for Montgomery Ward.According to at least one biography, he took his role in The Omen (1976) at a huge cut in salary (a mere $250,000) but was guaranteed 10% of the film's box-office take. It went on to gross more than $60 million in the US alone and became the film for which he earned the most money in his career.After making Arabesque (1966), he withdrew from acting for three years in order to concentrate on various humanitarian causes, including the American Cancer Society.MGM wanted him to play Roger Thornhill in North by Northwest (1959), but director Alfred Hitchcock thought he was too serious and cast Cary Grant instead.Oldest son Jon committed suicide by gunshot in 1975.Was Warner Bros. original choice to play Grandpa Joe in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005). He was offered the role and seriously considered this but passed away before he could give them an answer.In 1999 he publicly berated Congress for failing to pass legislation preventing teenagers from buying guns, following the Columbine high school massacre.Regularly visited the terminally sick Humphrey Bogart while filming Designing Woman (1957) with Bogart's wife, Peck's old friend, Lauren Bacall. He was devastated by Bogart's death on 1/14/57.Was the first native Californian to receive an Academy Award for Best Actor.By 1974, following a series of flops, his career had declined to such an extent that he admitted in an interview that he was thinking of retiring from acting. Two years later, however, he made an enormous comeback with The Omen (1976).When he arrived in Italy to shoot Roman Holiday (1953), he was privately depressed about his recent separation and imminent divorce from his first wife, Greta. However, during the shoot, he met and fell in love with a French woman named Veronique Passani After his divorce, he married Passani (aka Veronique Peck); they remained together for the rest of his life.In 1947, at the beginning of the "Red Scare" investigations in Hollywood, he signed a letter deploring the witch hunts despite being warned that it could hurt his career.He did not get along with director Elia Kazan while filming Gentleman's Agreement (1947). Kazan told the press he was very disappointed with Peck's performance and the two men never worked together again.In 1999 he supported the decision to give Elia Kazan an honorary Oscar for lifetime achievement, saying he believed that a man's work should be separate from his life.Mourners for the public service held after his burial held huge black-and-white portraits of him as they approached the Cathedral, designed by artist/sculptor Robert Graham, husband of Anjelica Huston. Church officials estimated that almost 3,000 people attended. Seats were reserved for his friends, a sizable number of whom were celebrities--they were instructed to whisper the secret password "Atticus" to the red-coated ushers who escorted them to the reserved section--Harry Belafonte, Anjelica Huston, Michael York, Louise Fletcher, Tony Danza, Piper Laurie, Harrison Ford, Calista Flockhart. Michael Jackson, wearing a red jacket, caused a stir when he arrived 20 minutes late. Decked out in a bright blue suit and clutching a program with Peck's picture on it was his first wife Greta, looking hale and hearty at 92. Roger Mahony, Archbishop of Los Angeles, presided over the service. The program included bible readings by his children Carey, Cecilia and Tony. Mahoney said, "He lived his life authentically, as God called and willed him and placed him in his room, with gifts and talents." Brock Peters, who played the black man defended by Peck's character Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird (1962), delivered the eulogy. The film spawned a close friendship between the two stars that lasted more than 40 years. "In art there is compassion," said Peters, "in compassion there is humanity, with humanity there is generosity and love. Gregory Peck gave us these attributes in full measure." The crowd visibly warmed to a videotape performance of Peck featuring a lecture he gave several years before. He said he hoped to be remembered first as a good husband, father and grandfather. Then, with quiet strength and unforgettable presence, he added: "I'd like to be thought of as a good storyteller".Had always wanted to do a Walt Disney movie.A back injury incurred in college kept him out of the services in World War II.In 1999 the American Film Institute named him among the Greatest Male Stars of All Time, ranking at #12.Often stated how disappointed he was that many American viewers did not realize how anti-war The Guns of Navarone (1961) was.His performance as Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) is ranked #13 on "Premiere" magazine's 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time.Was a vocal opponent of the Vietnam War, while remaining supportive of his son who was serving there.Was a lifelong opponent of nuclear weapons, and made On the Beach (1959) for this reason.In 1969 he was the recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian award, awarded by Lyndon B. Johnson.His favorite singers were Frank Sinatra and Michael Jackson. He was also a big fan of Elton John.In 1997, as a presenter at the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) awards ceremony, he said, "It just seems silly to me that something so right and simple has to be fought for at all".He was an active supporter of AIDS fund raising.National Chairman, American Cancer Society. in 1966.His earliest movie memory is of being so scared by The Phantom of the Opera (1925) at age nine that his grandmother allowed him to sleep in the bed with her that night.Peck spent time early in his career working at the Barter Theatre in Abingdon, VA - the State Theatre of Virginia. A picture hangs in the theatre of him with an old pickup truck, showing how he worked both behind the scenes as well as on stage. The Barter also boasts stints from Ernest Borgnine, Patricia Neal, Larry Linville and Kevin Spacey.Was in the original version of Cape Fear (1962) in 1962, playing Sam Bowden. He was later brought back for a part in another version of Cape Fear (1991), playing Max Cady's attorney.He has appeared in five films that have been selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically" significant: Gentleman's Agreement (1947), Twelve O'Clock High (1949), Roman Holiday (1953), How the West Was Won (1962) and To Kill a Mockingbird (1962).Visited Michael Jackson on the set of the "Smooth Criminal" segment for Moonwalker (1988). Also visiting the set was Robert De Niro and Bruce Willis.Strongly opposed the use of atomic weapons in World War II as he believed a naval blockade would have starved Japan into unconditional surrender.His election as President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in 1967 was widely seen as heralding in a new, younger, progressive and decidedly liberal era of filmmaking in Hollywood. |
| Name: |
Gregory Peck |
Type: |
Actor,Producer,Additional Crew (IMDB) |
| Area: |
All World |
Platform: |
IMDB |
| Category: |
|
Business scope: |
Actor,Producer,Additional Crew |
| Products for sale: |
Actor,Producer,Additional Crew |
| Model rank: |
360 |
| Last update: |
2024-07-01 03:48:45 |
| Height: |
6' 2?' (1.89 m) |
| Biography: |
Eldred Gregory Peck was born on April 5, 1916 in La Jolla, California, to Bernice Mae (Ayres) and Gregory Pearl Peck, a chemist and druggist in San Diego. He had Irish (from his paternal grandmother), English, and some German, ancestry. His parents d |
| Trivia: |
In 1996 veteran character actor Richard Jaeckel, Peck's co-star in The Gunfighter (1950), was diagnosed with cancer, and his wife had Alzheimer's disease. The Jaeckels had lost their Brentwood home and were over $1 million in debt, leaving them basically homeless. His family tried unsuccessfully to place him in the Motion Picture and Television Country Home and Hospital. Once Peck lobbied for Jaeckel's admittance, he was treated within three days. Jaeckel stayed in the hospital until his death on 6/14/97.Formed a solid friendship with Mary Badham, who played his daughter "Scout" in To Kill a Mockingbird (1962). They remained in contact until his passing. According to Badham, she always called him "Atticus" and he always called her "Scout".He took in former co-star Ava Gardner's housekeeper and dog after her death on 1/25/90.Of his own movies, To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) is his favorite.Marched with Martin Luther King.Appeared on President Richard Nixon's infamous "enemies list" in 1972.His character from To Kill a Mockingbird (1962), Atticus Finch, was voted the greatest screen hero of all time by the American Film Institute in May 2003, only two weeks before his death (beating out Indiana Jones, who was placed second, and James Bond who came third).Became friends with Audrey Hepburn after working with her in Roman Holiday (1953). Peck successfully persuaded Paramount executives to give her star billing equal to his, rather than "Introducing" credit, because he strongly believed the film rested dramatically on her character's -- and Hepburn's -- shoulders, and not his. Indeed, Hepburn went on to win the Academy Award for Best Actress at the 1954 Oscars and they both remained close until her death in 1993. That same year, Peck presented her son Sean Hepburn Ferrer with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in recognition for her work with UNICEF.His favorite drink was Guinness, which he drank every day. Eventually he had a tap installed in the bar at his house.President of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) from 1967-70. He made the decision to postpone the 1968 Oscar ceremony after Martin Luther King's assassination.Cited that his favorite leading ladies were Audrey Hepburn, Ingrid Bergman and Ava Gardner.When he was the President of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, he lobbied the organization's Board of Governors to make animated feature films eligible for nomination as Best Picture. It wasn't until 1991 that Disney's Beauty and the Beast (1991) became the first animated film to be nominated for Best Picture, although it did not win.A physically powerful man, he was known to do a majority of his own fight scenes, rarely using body or stunt doubles. Robert Mitchum, his on-screen opponent in Cape Fear (1962), said that Peck once accidentally punched him for real during their final fight scene. He recalled feeling the impact of the punch for days afterward and said, "I don't feel sorry for anyone dumb enough who picks a fight with him".Turned down Yves Montand's role in Let's Make Love (1960) because he didn't want to work with Marilyn Monroe.Son, Stephen did a tour in Vietnam with the Marine Corps. Peck was proud of his son's military service even though he disagreed with the war itself.In 1980, stating he was worried about the 600,000 jobs hanging on the survival of the Chrysler Corp., he volunteered to become an unpaid TV pitchman for the company.During his lean days, he supported himself as a Radio City Music Hall tour guide and a catalog model for Montgomery Ward.According to at least one biography, he took his role in The Omen (1976) at a huge cut in salary (a mere $250,000) but was guaranteed 10% of the film's box-office take. It went on to gross more than $60 million in the US alone and became the film for which he earned the most money in his career.After making Arabesque (1966), he withdrew from acting for three years in order to concentrate on various humanitarian causes, including the American Cancer Society.MGM wanted him to play Roger Thornhill in North by Northwest (1959), but director Alfred Hitchcock thought he was too serious and cast Cary Grant instead.Oldest son Jon committed suicide by gunshot in 1975.Was Warner Bros. original choice to play Grandpa Joe in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005). He was offered the role and seriously considered this but passed away before he could give them an answer.In 1999 he publicly berated Congress for failing to pass legislation preventing teenagers from buying guns, following the Columbine high school massacre.Regularly visited the terminally sick Humphrey Bogart while filming Designing Woman (1957) with Bogart's wife, Peck's old friend, Lauren Bacall. He was devastated by Bogart's death on 1/14/57.Was the first native Californian to receive an Academy Award for Best Actor.By 1974, following a series of flops, his career had declined to such an extent that he admitted in an interview that he was thinking of retiring from acting. Two years later, however, he made an enormous comeback with The Omen (1976).When he arrived in Italy to shoot Roman Holiday (1953), he was privately depressed about his recent separation and imminent divorce from his first wife, Greta. However, during the shoot, he met and fell in love with a French woman named Veronique Passani After his divorce, he married Passani (aka Veronique Peck); they remained together for the rest of his life.In 1947, at the beginning of the "Red Scare" investigations in Hollywood, he signed a letter deploring the witch hunts despite being warned that it could hurt his career.He did not get along with director Elia Kazan while filming Gentleman's Agreement (1947). Kazan told the press he was very disappointed with Peck's performance and the two men never worked together again.In 1999 he supported the decision to give Elia Kazan an honorary Oscar for lifetime achievement, saying he believed that a man's work should be separate from his life.Mourners for the public service held after his burial held huge black-and-white portraits of him as they approached the Cathedral, designed by artist/sculptor Robert Graham, husband of Anjelica Huston. Church officials estimated that almost 3,000 people attended. Seats were reserved for his friends, a sizable number of whom were celebrities--they were instructed to whisper the secret password "Atticus" to the red-coated ushers who escorted them to the reserved section--Harry Belafonte, Anjelica Huston, Michael York, Louise Fletcher, Tony Danza, Piper Laurie, Harrison Ford, Calista Flockhart. Michael Jackson, wearing a red jacket, caused a stir when he arrived 20 minutes late. Decked out in a bright blue suit and clutching a program with Peck's picture on it was his first wife Greta, looking hale and hearty at 92. Roger Mahony, Archbishop of Los Angeles, presided over the service. The program included bible readings by his children Carey, Cecilia and Tony. Mahoney said, "He lived his life authentically, as God called and willed him and placed him in his room, with gifts and talents." Brock Peters, who played the black man defended by Peck's character Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird (1962), delivered the eulogy. The film spawned a close friendship between the two stars that lasted more than 40 years. "In art there is compassion," said Peters, "in compassion there is humanity, with humanity there is generosity and love. Gregory Peck gave us these attributes in full measure." The crowd visibly warmed to a videotape performance of Peck featuring a lecture he gave several years before. He said he hoped to be remembered first as a good husband, father and grandfather. Then, with quiet strength and unforgettable presence, he added: "I'd like to be thought of as a good storyteller".Had always wanted to do a Walt Disney movie.A back injury incurred in college kept him out of the services in World War II.In 1999 the American Film Institute named him among the Greatest Male Stars of All Time, ranking at #12.Often stated how disappointed he was that many American viewers did not realize how anti-war The Guns of Navarone (1961) was.His performance as Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) is ranked #13 on "Premiere" magazine's 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time.Was a vocal opponent of the Vietnam War, while remaining supportive of his son who was serving there.Was a lifelong opponent of nuclear weapons, and made On the Beach (1959) for this reason.In 1969 he was the recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian award, awarded by Lyndon B. Johnson.His favorite singers were Frank Sinatra and Michael Jackson. He was also a big fan of Elton John.In 1997, as a presenter at the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) awards ceremony, he said, "It just seems silly to me that something so right and simple has to be fought for at all".He was an active supporter of AIDS fund raising.National Chairman, American Cancer Society. in 1966.His earliest movie memory is of being so scared by The Phantom of the Opera (1925) at age nine that his grandmother allowed him to sleep in the bed with her that night.Peck spent time early in his career working at the Barter Theatre in Abingdon, VA - the State Theatre of Virginia. A picture hangs in the theatre of him with an old pickup truck, showing how he worked both behind the scenes as well as on stage. The Barter also boasts stints from Ernest Borgnine, Patricia Neal, Larry Linville and Kevin Spacey.Was in the original version of Cape Fear (1962) in 1962, playing Sam Bowden. He was later brought back for a part in another version of Cape Fear (1991), playing Max Cady's attorney.He has appeared in five films that have been selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically" significant: Gentleman's Agreement (1947), Twelve O'Clock High (1949), Roman Holiday (1953), How the West Was Won (1962) and To Kill a Mockingbird (1962).Visited Michael Jackson on the set of the "Smooth Criminal" segment for Moonwalker (1988). Also visiting the set was Robert De Niro and Bruce Willis.Strongly opposed the use of atomic weapons in World War II as he believed a naval blockade would have starved Japan into unconditional surrender.His election as President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in 1967 was widely seen as heralding in a new, younger, progressive and decidedly liberal era of filmmaking in Hollywood. |
| Trademarks: |
Almost always played courageous, nobly heroic good guys who saw injustice and fought it.
Distinctive low-pitched voice
Films often reflected his liberal political views
Imposing stature
Often plays leaders or authority figures |
| Quotes: |
[when he discovered that his second wife, French journalist Veronique Peck, had passed up an opportunity to interview Albert Schweitzer at a lunch hosted by Jean-Paul Sartre in order to go out on a date with Peck] You made the right choice, kiddo!
<br />
<hr>
[on his 1962 Oscar-winning role in To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)] I put everything I had into it - all my feelings and everything I'd learned in 46 years of living, about family life and fathers and children. And my feelings about racial justice and inequality and opportunity.
<br />
<hr>
They say the bad guys are more interesting to play but there is more to it than that - playing the good guys is more challenging because it's harder to make them interesting.
<br />
<hr>
I just do things I really enjoy. I enjoy acting. When I'm driving to the studio, I sing in the car. I love my work and my wife and my kids and my friends. And I think, "You're a lucky man, Gregory Peck, a damn lucky man."
<br />
<hr>
Gregory Peck is the hottest thing in town. Some say he is a second Gary Cooper. Actually, he is the first Gregory Peck. |
| Salaries: |
The Omen (1976) - $250,000 + 10% of the gross
<br />
<hr>
The Chairman (1969) - $500,000 + 10% of the gross
<br />
<hr>
To Kill a Mockingbird (1963) - $250,000 + 10% of the gross.
<br />
<hr>
The Purple Plain (1954) - $ |
| Job title: |
Actor,Producer,Additional Crew |
| Others works: |
(1/1/88) Grand Marshal, Tournament of Roses parade, Pasadena, CA.
(1949) Album: Narrated "Lullaby of Christmas" (Decca Records).
(1947, 48, 50) Print ads: Chesterfield cigarettes.
(1991) Stage: Appeared in "The Will Rogers Follies" |
| Spouse: |
Veronique Peck (December 31, 1955 - June 12, 2003) (his death, 2 children)Greta Kukkonen (October 4, 1942 - December 30, 1955) (divorced, 3 children) |
| Children: |
Stephen PeckCecilia PeckTony PeckCarey Paul PeckJonathan Peck |
| Parents: |
Bernice Mae Ayres
Gregory Pearl Peck |
| Relatives: |
Ethan Peck (Grandchild)
Zackary Peck (Grandchild)
Harper Peck (Grandchild)
Ondine Alexandra Peck-Voll (Grandchild) |
|
