Ask almost anyone to name the actor behind Atticus Finch, and the answer comes back fast: Gregory Peck. The 1962 role that won him the Best Actor Oscar, according to Encyclopaedia Britannica, is only one chapter in a documented life that includes a wartime medical rejection, two marriages, and five children.

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Born: April 5, 1916, La Jolla, California · Died: June 12, 2003, Los Angeles, at 87 · Most famous role: Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) · Academy Awards: 1 win and 5 nominations · Children: 5

Quick snapshot

1Confirmed facts
2What’s unclear
  • Cause of death was reported as bronchopneumonia, but medical details stayed sparse (The New York Times)
3Timeline signal
4What’s next

Eight life details, one pattern: the facts people ask about most — marriages, children, height, military status — are the ones he kept least visible. The chronology below follows Encyclopaedia Britannica.

Detail Value
Full name Eldred Gregory Peck
Born April 5, 1916, La Jolla, California
Died June 12, 2003, Los Angeles, California
Marriages Greta Kukkonen (1942–1955); Veronique Passani (1955–2003)
Children Jonathan, Stephen, Carey, Anthony, and Cecilia
Military service Rejected for World War II service due to a back injury
Oscar Best Actor for To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
Height / eyes 6 ft 3 in / blue eyes

What was Gregory Peck’s most famous role?

What are Gregory Peck’s best movies?

  • To Kill a Mockingbird (1962): Atticus Finch, the role that won Best Actor. Roman Holiday (1953): the bright turn with Audrey Hepburn. Spellbound, Gentleman’s Agreement, Twelve O’Clock High: the serious leading-man years (The New York Times).

Who was Gregory Peck’s favorite leading lady?

  • The pairing that stuck was Audrey Hepburn, the co-star of Roman Holiday — and the friendship outlasted the film.

Was Gregory Peck a nice man?

  • The word that follows Peck through most profiles is “dignity.” The New York Times used it in the headline of his obituary.
The upshot

Peck’s legacy is unusually concentrated: one Oscar-winning role still defines him, while the films that made him a star are the ones people mention second.

The implication: the famous role was so large it nearly erased the working actor behind it.

Was Gregory Peck in the Armed Forces?

Why wasn’t Gregory Peck in the military?

  • Peck did not serve in World War II. The official biography cites a back injury, linked to his early dance and movement training with Martha Graham, as the reason for the exemption (Gregory Peck Official Website).

Did Gregory Peck play military characters on screen?

  • Yes, repeatedly. The most cited example is Twelve O’Clock High, where he played a military commander (The New York Times).

The pattern: his absence from combat made the uniformed roles he played on screen feel more deliberate, not less.

What happened to Gregory Peck’s son Jonathan?

What happened to Jonathan?

  • Jonathan Peck, the eldest son, died in 1975; the death was ruled a suicide (EBSCO Research Starters).

Is Anthony Peck the son of Gregory Peck?

  • Yes. Anthony is one of the five children — Jonathan, Stephen, Carey, Anthony, and Cecilia (Gregory Peck Official Website).

How many children did Gregory Peck have?

  • Five: Jonathan, Stephen, and Carey with Greta Kukkonen; Anthony and Cecilia with Veronique Passani (Gregory Peck Official Website).

Who inherited Gregory Peck’s money?

  • The estate was handled through private family arrangements, and specific amounts were never publicized.

The trade-off: the family kept his private life closed, which means the public record has gaps even around major events like Jonathan’s death.

Who was Gregory Peck’s true love?

Was Ingrid Bergman in love with Gregory Peck?

  • They co-starred in Spellbound, and letters sold at auction documented a romantic attachment (EBSCO Research Starters).

Why did Gregory Peck leave his first wife?

  • The divorce from Greta Kukkonen was finalized in 1955; Peck married Veronique Passani later that same year. The precise reasons were not laid out publicly (EBSCO Research Starters).

Was Gregory Peck loyal to his wife?

  • After 1955, the record shows one marriage: Veronique Passani, until his death in 2003 (Gregory Peck Official Website).

The catch: “true love” is a tabloid frame, not a historical finding. The durable fact is a 48-year marriage and a close working bond with Hepburn.

What did Gregory Peck die of?

Where did Gregory Peck die?

  • He died in Los Angeles on June 12, 2003, at age 87; contemporary reports cited bronchopneumonia (The New York Times).

How old was Gregory Peck when he died?

  • He was 87.

What is Gregory Peck’s legacy?

  • Atticus Finch, five Oscar nominations, and a reputation for quiet professionalism (The New York Times).
Why this matters

A star’s death can become a footnote if the family details are kept private; with Peck, the public record ends at his official biography and a brief obituary report.

Why this matters: the medical details stayed thin, so the public story has always ended with the same clean line — he died at home, in his sleep, after a long career.

How to explore Gregory Peck’s life in five steps

  1. Start with To Kill a Mockingbird (1962). It is the performance that won the Oscar and still defines him.
  2. Add Roman Holiday (1953). It shows the lighter side of his persona and his pairing with Audrey Hepburn.
  3. Go to the 1940s serious roles. Spellbound, Gentleman’s Agreement, and Twelve O’Clock High explain why studios trusted him with complex leading roles.
  4. Read the official biography. The Gregory Peck Official Website covers his parents, childhood, and military exemption.
  5. Finish with the official family page. It lists his second marriage and children, while the obituary supplies the death date.

The sequence moves from the performance to the official record, so the public facts stay anchored.

Timeline signal

  • 1916 — Born April 5 in La Jolla, California (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
  • 1942 — Married Greta Kukkonen (EBSCO Research Starters)
  • 1944 — First son Jonathan was born (Gregory Peck Official Website)
  • 1945 — Starred in Spellbound with Ingrid Bergman (The New York Times)
  • 1953 — Starred in Roman Holiday with Audrey Hepburn (The New York Times)
  • 1955 — Divorced Greta Kukkonen and married Veronique Passani (EBSCO Research Starters; Gregory Peck Official Website)
  • 1962 — Won Best Actor Oscar for To Kill a Mockingbird (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
  • 1975 — Son Jonathan died at age 30 (EBSCO Research Starters)
  • 2003 — Died June 12 in Los Angeles at age 87 (The New York Times)

The pattern: the career dates align with the obituary record, and the family events are the only interruptions.

Confirmed facts vs. what’s still unclear

Confirmed facts

  • Won Best Actor for To Kill a Mockingbird (Encyclopaedia Britannica).
  • Married twice: Greta Kukkonen and Veronique Passani (Gregory Peck Official Website).
  • Exempted from World War II service because of a back injury (Gregory Peck Official Website).
  • Son Jonathan died in 1975 (EBSCO Research Starters).
  • Died in Los Angeles on June 12, 2003, at age 87 (The New York Times).

What’s unclear

  • Cause of death is often reported as bronchopneumonia, but medical details were not widely disclosed (The New York Times).
  • Whether “true love” refers to Veronique Passani or someone else is a matter of interpretation.
  • The precise reasons for Peck’s divorce from Greta Kukkonen were not publicly detailed.
  • The exact division of his estate and inheritance amounts were not publicized.
  • Peck’s adult religious affiliation was not broadly documented.

The split matters because the public record on Peck is unusually stable, with only personal details left unconfirmed.

Quotes worth keeping

“Gregory Peck, a Star of Quiet Dignity, Dies at 87.”

— The New York Times, obituary headline

“Exempted from World War II service because of a back injury.”

— Gregory Peck Official Website, official biography

Bottom line: The record on Gregory Peck is more stable than most Hollywood legends: one defining role, one late marriage that lasted, and a military exemption that had nothing to do with patriotism. For someone building a classic Hollywood list, the choice is clear: start with Atticus Finch, then let the official biography and the obituary fill in the quiet details.

Additional sources

thefamouspeople.com, armeniapedia.org, nytimes.com

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Frequently asked questions

What color eyes did Gregory Peck have?

Blue eyes, according to the published snapshot record.

How tall was Gregory Peck?

He is commonly listed at 6 ft 3 in.

What religion was Gregory Peck?

He attended St. John’s Catholic Military Academy, which is often described as a Catholic school; his adult religious affiliation was not broadly documented.

How many Academy Award nominations did Gregory Peck receive?

Five nominations during his career.

Did Gregory Peck win an Oscar?

Yes, Best Actor for To Kill a Mockingbird.

Where was Gregory Peck born?

La Jolla, California, on April 5, 1916.

These quick answers cover the details people ask about most, while the fuller record sits above.

Related reading

For Gregory Peck, the lasting echo is Atticus Finch — and the quieter fact that his own record still holds up under that glare.