Gregory Peck's career has spanned six decades, during which the ruggedly handsome actor has played everything from a jaunty reporter to a priest, an honourable lawyer to a World War II bomber pilot. To every role he has lent a depth and intelligence that have made him a permanent screen icon.
Although he planned on being a doctor, Peck was lured to the stage as a young man, leaving his native California for an uncertain existence in New York. There he made a successful Broadway debut, eventually returning to Hollywood to begin a high profile career that has included starring roles in such classics as ROMAN HOLIDAY, CAPE FEAR, MOBY DICK and TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD for which he received an Academy Award. Despite his very public career, Peck remains a very private man. In this first comprehensive biography Gary Fishgall portrays the actor in his many guises: the lonely young son of divorced parents; the aspiring young thespian; and the newly crowned movie star charming the likes of Ingrid Bergman, Jennifer Jones and Ava Gardner. Fishgall reveals the truth behind Peck's unhappy first marriage, his struggle to keep his family together and the blissful second marriage that has lasted over forty years. Finally, Fishgall portrays the actor today, an ardent activist determined to extend himself beyond the bounds of his own profession and make the world a better place.