Gregory Peck: biography, filmography, personal life

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Gregory Peck (full name - Eldred Gregory Peck) - American actor, Hollywood superstar. He was born April 5, 1916 in the provincial town of La Jolla, California. Father Gregory, a devout Catholic, worked as a pharmacist in a pharmacy, and his mother, who converted to Catholicism after marriage, was a housewife. When the boy was three years old, his parents divorced. The mother left, and little Gregory was left in the care of his grandmother Kate Ayers.

University

Gregory was an obedient sensible child, respecting the traditions of the older generation. As soon as he was 17 years old, the young man entered the Faculty of Humanities at the University of California. Gregory Peck, whose biography is full of difficult moments, experienced certain difficulties. He had to pay for his studies, but he had no money. However, Gregory tried to earn money, sweeping the streets, washing dishes in restaurants, delivering orders to homes. Peck devoted his first university years to the study of literature, as well as acting. He became a regular participant in student performances taking place on the theater stage of the university.

Theatrical New York

In 1939, Gregory Peck graduated from the university and receivedBachelor of Arts degree. But even before completing his studies, he decided to devote himself to the acting profession, and since New York was the Mecca of theatrical art at that time, Peck went straight to Broadway. However, the metropolis accepted him unfriendly, the money quickly ran out, Gregory was forced to look for work again. Barker at fairs, usher in a music hall, fashion model in an inexpensive store - all these attempts to earn a living were exhausting, but somehow helped to exist. At the same time, Peck understood that it was impossible to get a role in the theater with his diploma, a completely different qualification was needed, but there was none.

Actor Diploma

When World War II began, Gregory Peck failed his medical examination due to spinal problems. According to the results of medical examinations, as well as his social class, Peck received a rather impressive scholarship. Considering this a gift of fate, Gregory completed a full course of acting skills according to the Stanislavsky system, received a diploma. Being fully armed, Peck rushed to storm the Broadway theaters. He was willingly accepted, but all the performances in which Gregory participated burned out.

First successes

Peck didn't feel guilty about this, and there wasn't any: obeying his artistic talent by nature, Gregory played easily, without the slightest tension. Critics, who are accustomed to discussing every performance of the theater on Broadway, unanimously noted Peck's talent. Gregory's further participation in theatrical performances brought performances to a new level, his gamebecame brighter, and the characters - more and more reliable. Gradually, the actor Gregory Peck became one of the most sought after, life got better, money appeared, and with them new acquaintances. Although it cannot be said that the actor was open to everyone without exception, he was quite selective in choosing friends and acquaintances. Gregory Peck, whose photo has already begun to appear on the covers of glossy magazines, has become a popular actor. He has significantly increased his friends among the fair sex.

Film debut

Work in Broadway theaters continued for Peck for several more years, until he was noticed by agents of one of the Hollywood studios. After brief negotiations and one screen test, Gregory Peck was approved for the lead role. He was to play the commander of a Russian partisan detachment. The image turned out to be unconvincing, the appearance of the actor sinned with aristocracy, and no makeup could hide this. The same was observed in the role of Anka the machine-gunner, who was played by the ballerina Tamara Tumanova, a Russian emigrant. No matter how they dressed her up, she still remained a pampered beauty. But since the director of the film "Days of Glory" Jacques Tourneur had neither a real commander nor a machine gunner, he was content with what he had and continued shooting. Fortunately, American critics considered the finished film (or rather, a parody of it) to be Soviet propaganda and put it on the shelf.

Popularity

The beginning of a film career was laid, and Gregory Peck, whose filmography already contained one motion picture, starred inthe next film called "The Keys of the Kingdom" directed by John Stull, in which the actor again played the main role - the priest Francis Chisholm. Gregory got used to the image flawlessly, he managed to convey the spirit of that time and unobtrusively present the viewer with the noble image of a clergyman.

After the release of the picture on the screen, Peck became a star, his demand went through the roof, and films with Gregory Peck were shown in theaters for two to three weeks. Most Hollywood actors were drafted into the army and were in military units, film studios were actually left without male actors, so Peck was in great demand. However, he resisted the temptation to appear in several film projects at once, thoughtfully treated his roles, read and reread scripts for weeks.

Main roles

In 1946, Gregory Peck starred in the film "Fawn" directed by Clarence Brown. Children's film with adult characters, in the center of the plot - 11-year-old Jody, his father Penny Baxter and mother Orri Baxter, as well as an orphan deer, whose fate is the basis of the film. Seven Oscars and one Golden Globe - this is the result of the movie.

Gregory had another major role in the film "Duel in the Sun" directed by David Selznick. There, Peck got the character of Lute McCanles, one of the two brothers who seek the favor of Pearl Chavez.

The action-packed detective story "The Paradine Case" directed by Alfred Hitchcock was filmed in 1947. Gregory Peck character -respectable lawyer Anthony Keane - defends Anna Paradine, suspected of killing her husband. Anthony falls in love with his client. He is ready to do anything to justify her. But Anna breaks down and confesses to the crime.

Peck played only two or three minor roles in his entire career in Hollywood, almost all of his images were the main ones. The directors appreciated the actor as a characteristic high-level performer, they tried to use him in the maximum number of tapes. But actor Gregory Peck, whose height exceeded 190 cm, sometimes refused the role for this reason, as he believed that everything should be harmonious in the film.

Roman Holiday

In the filmography of Gregory Peck there are several pearl paintings that combine all the best traditions of American cinema. One such work is "Roman Holiday" directed by William Wyler. Peck's character is journalist Joe Bradley, whom fate brought together with the slightly eccentric Princess Anna, who came to Rome on business of her kingdom. Not wanting to sit in the embassy, she arranged for herself a walk around the city at night. However, the heir to the throne did not calculate her strength: Anna fell asleep right on the stone parapet, where Bradley, who was on a spree, came across her. Anna and Joe spent the next day together, they were heaven sent to each other. And if it were not for Anna's royal status, who knows, maybe the feeling that arose between young people would turn into love. Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn were close friends in real life. Perhaps theirconnected with some deeper feelings.

First Oscar

Another picture that is rightfully considered a masterpiece of world cinema is "To Kill a Mockingbird". The film was directed by Robert Mulligan in 1962 based on the novel of the same name by Harper Lee. Gregory Peck's character is Atticus Finch, a lawyer who defends a black criminal who is accused of desecrating a white woman. The accusation was false, but the slaveholding ambitions of white Americans took over, then it was possible to accuse blacks of anything. In this particular case, the case reached the prosecutor, the process of legal proceedings was launched. The film received several prestigious awards, and Gregory Peck personally won an Oscar and a Golden Globe, both awards in the Best Actor in a Drama category.

Filmography

Gregory Peck, whose filmography includes about 50 films, was most active between 1958 and 1998.

• 1958 - "Big Country" directed by William Wyler. Peck as James McKay.
• 1959 - "Bravados", directed by Henry King, Gregory as Jim Douglas. Pagan Beloved directed by Henry King and played by Scott Fitzgerald. On the Shore, directed by Stanley Kramer, Peck as Dwight Lionel.
• 1961 - The Guns of Navarone, directed by J. Lee Thompson, Peck's character is Keith Mallory.
• 1962 - "How the West Was Won" directed by Richard Thorpe, Peck as Clive WangVeylen. "To Kill a Mockingbird", directed by Robert Mulligan, Gregory - Atticus Finch.
• 1963 - "Captain Newman", directed by David Miller. The role of Peck is Joseph Newman.
• 1964 - "Behold the Pale Horse", directed by Fred Zinnemann. Gregory as Manuel Ortego.
• 1966 - "Arabesque", directed by Stanley Donen. Peck as David Pollock.
• 1968 - "Tracking the Moon", directed by Robert Mulligan. Gregory - Sam Varner.
• 1969 - McKenna's Gold, directed by J. Lee Thompson. Peck as McKenna.
• 1974 - "Billy Two Hats" directed by Tad Kotcheff. Role - Archie Dean.
• 1976 - "The Omen", directed by Richard Doner. Peck as Robert Thorne.
• 1977 - "MacArthur", directed by Joseph Sargent. Peck - Douglas MacArthur.
• 1980 - "The Sea Wolves", directed by Andrew McLaglen. The role of Peck is Lewis Pug.
• 1982 - Blue and Grey, directed by Andrew McLaglen. Gregory as Abraham Lincoln.
• 1989 - "Old Gringo" directed by Luis Puenzo. Role - Ambros Bierce.
• 1991 - Cape Fear, directed by Martin Scorsese. Peck as Lee Heller.
• 1998 - "Moby Dick", directed by John Huston. The role of Gregory is Mapple.

Private life

The personal life of Hollywood superstar Gregory Peck fully corresponds to his character - thoughtful, balanced and reasonable. The actor's first marriage took place at the end of 1942, when Gregoryturned 26 years old. Finnish woman Greta Kukkonen became his wife. The couple lived together for 13 years, then a divorce followed. After parting, they maintained a cordial relationship. The couple had three sons: the eldest Jonathan was born in 1942 and died in 1975 by suicide. The middle one, Stephen, was born in 1946, and the third son, Cary Paul, was born in 1949.

Stephen Peck is engaged in social and political activities (support for Vietnam War veterans). Cary Paul Peck ran twice for Congress from California. The first attempt was in 1978, the second - in 1980. Both times he was actively supported by family members and Gregory Peck himself, but both in the first and in the second case, Carey failed to get around the Republican Bob Dornan.

After his divorce from Greta Kukkonen, Gregory got married again. His second chosen one was the Frenchwoman Veronique Passani. They have known each other since 1953. Passani, being a journalist for one of the publications covering the life of movie stars, interviewed Peck on the eve of his departure to shoot the film "Roman Holiday". Six months later, Gregory decided to renew his acquaintance with Veronica, since his marriage to Greta had already cracked by that time. The meeting took place, and when Peck divorced, Passani became his wife. The couple lived together for almost 50 years, they were separated by the death of Gregory Peck on June 12, 2003. Gregory and Veronica had two children - daughter Cecilia and son Anthony.