Mood:  celebratory

For all of you Gregory Peck fans; and who isn't, TCM will be running some of his films today! Eldred Gregory Peck was born in 1916, and spent most of his early life in and around La Jolla, California. After graduating in 1939, he changed his name from Eldred to Gregory and moved to New York. Within a year he began to fill small roles in travelling shows and in 1942, made his debut on Broadway with "The Morning Star." Though many of his early plays were doomed to short runs, it seemed clear that Peck was destined for something bigger. In 1944 that "something bigger" arrived in the form of his first two Hollywood roles, as Vladimir in DAYS OF GLORY and Father Francis Chisholm in THE KEYS TO THE KINGDOM. While DAYS OF GLORY was coolly received, his role as the taciturn Scottish missionary in THE KEYS TO THE KINGDOM was a resounding triumph and brought him his first Oscar nominations for Best Actor. Thus began the career of one of Hollywood's most beautiful and talented actors. Sadly, Gregory Peck passed away on June 12th, 2003, at the age of 87.