Legendary Actor Gregory Peck to Be Celebrated on His 100th

This month marks the 100th birthday of Hollywood legend Gregory Peck, and to celebrate his centenary, gala events and film retrospectives are being held from Washington to Beverly Hills. As part of the celebration, a new interactive website honoring his extraordinary life and work, www.GregoryPeck.com, is being launched featuring never-before-seen content and interviews.

The site, created by the Peck family, is a loving tribute and gathering place for fans, with information on celebratory events and new photos and stories.

As Peck's films, especially To Kill a Mockingbird, continue to generate new fans, the Peck family wanted a place to not only learn about his movies, but also about the man. "We made a site that would come as close to my father as possible, so that you feel you're spending time with him," said his daughter, filmmaker Cecilia Peck. "It's a very personal and intimate website that honors his great acting work, his commitment to social justice, his Irish humor, and his love of family and friends."

The website is elegant and user-friendly, filled with surprises and treasures. In the Films section, visitors can watch an original trailer of his 60 films, plus synopsis, cast list and director credits. In the Galleries, hundreds of never-before-seen photos are shared from the family's archive. Personal touches throughout the site give visitors an intimate experience with Gregory. A Timeline chronicles his remarkable history, and in the Memories section, visitors share favorite movie moments and memories.

Along with the website launch, other upcoming events celebrating Peck's legacy include:

• The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences' "Gregory Peck: A Centennial Celebration" Exhibition in Beverly Hills - opens April 22 and runs through January 31, 2017, showcasing photographs and manuscripts that highlight Peck's memorable film roles, his activism throughout the decades and family life.
• Sunday May 1: Cecilia Peck introduces a screening of The Keys of the Kingdom featuring Gregory's first Oscar-nominated role, at the TCM Classic Film Festival in Hollywood.
• The Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive to screen To Kill A Mockingbird and host a panel discussion on the social impact of Peck's films. (Gregory was a graduate of UC Berkeley - 1939).
• The San Diego Film Festival will honor Gregory and present a Gregory Peck Award on September 29, 2016.
• The Festa del Cinema di Roma will pay tribute to Gregory Peck in October, 2016 along with a screening of Roman Holiday.
• Netflix will stream To Kill A Mockingbird and A Conversation With Gregory Peck throughout the year.

This developing list joins many other events memorializing Mr. Peck, including:

• The La Jolla Playhouse celebrated Gregory, who founded the Playhouse along with Mel Ferrer and Dorothy McGuire, at their gala last month.
• The Smithsonian held a centennial tribute on April 3rd, with a double feature of Peck films. A Raymond Kinstler portrait of Peck is on display in the National Portrait Gallery.
• Martin Scorsese's piece honored Peck for TCM's 24-hour film festival April 5th: http://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/1195475|0/Scorsese-Screens-for-April.html

One of cinema's most respected actors, Peck's esteemed career spanned from the 1940s to the early 2000s. His dignity, compassion and honesty impressed critics from the start and endeared him to generations of moviegoers. Nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor five times, he won the Oscar for his portrayal of defense attorney Atticus Finch in 1962's To Kill A Mockingbird.

Peck was President of the Academy from 1967 to 1970, and served as a longtime governor. He was an inaugural member of the National Council on the Arts, and Founding Chairman of the American Film Institute. He was National Chairman of the American Cancer Society and raised record-breaking contributions. He was devoted to the Motion Picture & Television Fund, which provides health care to members of the entertainment industry. For his public service, he received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Oscar in 1967.

In 1969, President Johnson awarded Peck the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He also received the Screen Actors Guild award (1970), AFI Life Achievement Award (1989), KENNEDY CENTER HONORS (1991) and National Medal of Arts (1998). Peck is as highly regarded for his personal integrity and dedication to social and cultural activities as for his acting.

Gregory Peck will long be remembered for leaving the indelible imprint of his own character on all the roles he played, especially Atticus Finch, of whom he said, "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 injustice and inequality and opportunity."

Image: www.GregoryPeck.com