On April 5, 1916, Gregory Peck was born in San Diego – one of the most appreciated and legendary actors of the “Golden Age of Hollywood”. He was the undisputed star and icon of his time. Viewers and critics have already appreciated him for his first films, such as “Days of Glory”, “Gentleman’s Agreement” or “Bewitched”. In addition to being one of the most sought-after movie stars, he was also a true gentleman. Moreover, he was endowed with extraordinary intuition. Even before the filming of the iconic “Roman Holiday” was over, he called his agent and announced that debuting Audrey Hepburn will undoubtedly get for her role. As it turned out, he was right.
Gregory Peck predicted that Hepburn would win an Oscar
He and Gregory Peck almost didn’t know each other. Director William Wyler first wanted to cast British actor Cary Grant as Joe Bradley. He refused, however, because he believed that he was too old to play a journalist who has a crush on a young princess who, as part of her rebellion, sneaks out of the embassy to visit Rome incognito. Gregory Peck initially did not want to accept the male lead role in “Roman Holiday” – he believed that his character was too little exposed in the script. Wyler met him and said to his face, “I didn’t think you were the type of actor to measure the greatness of roles.” It got him thinking and he changed his mind. As it turned out later, thanks to this production, he met not only the charming Audrey Hepburn, but also his second wife, Veronique Peck, with whom he was connected until her death in 2003.
On the set, it soon became clear that working with Audrey Hepburn was pure pleasure. Gregory Peck was very impressed with her talent and work ethic. “Wonderful. Amazing girl, really. She can do anything without any effort,” he said. He quickly came to the conclusion that he was watching the birth of a real star and decided to make a very unusual gesture at that time. The deal with the film studio, of course, guaranteed him a much higher pay for the film than a debutante, and also placed his name in the forefront as the main star of the production. The actor decided to take a very surprising and unusual step at the time.
The shock on Audrey Hepburn’s face in the iconic scene is real
Halfway through filming Roman Holiday, Peck called his agent and told him that he thought Audrey Hepburn’s name should also be in the opening credits. As described by Gary Fishgall in his 2002 biography of the actor, during that conversation Peck said:
I’m sure she’ll win an Oscar for this role. Her name must be above the title with mine. It’s not an act of kindness on my part – if we do otherwise, we’re just being stupid.
It’s also to Gregory Peck that we owe one of the film’s most charming and memorable scenes. When Joe and Princess Anna visit Rome, they end up against the wall with the Mouth of Truth. The actor and the director agreed that he would stage a gag – he would hide his hand in the cuff of his jacket and pretend that it was really bitten off. Of course, they didn’t warn Audrey Hepburn about this – the horror and surprise we see on the screen is her real reaction. It was also the only scene for which no doubles were shot, there was simply no point.
Gregory Peck also turned out to be quite a matchmaker. After returning from filming in Rome, he met up with his friend, actor Mel Ferrer. He told him about how amazing and charming Hepburn was to him – he thought it was necessary for them to get to know each other. Peck then held a cocktail party at his place and invited them both. At first, he only suggested to them that they should star in a play together. And that’s where it actually began – they starred together in “Ondine”, and their relationship blossomed while they were working on the show. Eight months later, in September 1954, they were already married – describes Helena Coan in the biographical film “Audrey”, which can be watched in Polish, among others on Netflix and Apple TV.
Gregory Peck. Not just an actor
At the very beginning of his career, Peck made himself known on the one hand as an excellent impersonator of tenacious, intelligent and justice-seeking heroes, but over time he showed that he is also good at dealing with more complex and ambiguous characters. He was also very graceful in lighter, comedy productions, a perfect example of which is “Roman Holiday”. Peck earned five Academy Award nominations for his roles in Keys of the Kingdom (1944), The Yearling (1946), A Gentleman’s Agreement (1947), From Heaven (1949) and To Kill a Mockingbird (1949). 1962) – the last of them turned out to be the winner.
Five of his films – “A Gentleman’s Agreement”, “From Heaven”, “Roman Holiday” (1953), “How the West Was Won” (1962) and “To Kill a Mockingbird” have been listed by the Library of Congress as “culturally historically or aesthetically significant. He was also a humanitarian and social activist – he took part in protests and marched with Martin Luther King, opposed the Vietnam War, but supported his son who went there to serve, was involved in fundraising for AIDS research, and after the death of Ava Gardner he took her housekeeper and took care of the dog.
Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
