Gregory Peck: Oscar-Winning Atticus Finch Actor Dies at 87

Gregory Peck was an American actor, one of the most popular film stars from the 1940s to the 1970s. Born on April 5, 1916, in La Jolla, California, he trained at the Neighborhood Playhouse and co-founded the La Jolla Playhouse.

Peck won the Academy Award for Best Actor for playing Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird (1962). His films include Spellbound, The Yearling, Gentleman's Agreement, Roman Holiday, The Guns of Navarone and The Omen. He earned five Oscar nominations.

He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1969 and was ranked 12th among classic male stars by the American Film Institute. He had five children with two wives, Greta Kukkonen and Veronique Passani. He died in his sleep in Los Angeles on June 12, 2003, at age 87, of bronchopneumonia.

Achievements: Oscar for To Kill a Mockingbird (1962), Golden Globes, Presidential Medal of Freedom (1969).

Birth: April 5, 1916 - La Jolla, California.

Profession: Actor.

Interesting Facts: A back injury from dance lessons with Martha Graham kept him out of World War II service.