The Only Major Actors Still Alive From To Kill A Mockingbird
Harper Lee's "To Kill A Mockingbird" is about as quintessentially American as a classic book can get. The 1960 novel, which is still commonly read in schools today, follows young Alabaman girl Scout Finch as she endures the trials and tribulations of her pre-teen years — and witnesses the grim realities of the Jim Crow-era South. Some aspects of "To Kill A Mockingbird" haven't aged perfectly, but the book remains beloved for good reason. It's funny, sharp, and emotional, full of wisdom and harsh truth, and builds a world that's vividly alive.
That world made the leap from the page to the big screen in 1962, when director Robert Mulligan and playwright Horton Foote adapted "To Kill A Mockingbird" as a film. The movie version is indelible in its own right. It's anchored by a precise performance from Gregory Peck, who plays compassionate defense attorney Atticus Finch. In the 60 years since "To Kill A Mockingbird" was adapted, many of the actors involved in the project have passed on, but a few still carry on the legacy of the film.
Mary Badham (Scout Finch)
The movie's overall-clad, bowl-cut wearing tomboy protagonist was played by Mary Badham, who was not a child actor at the time she was cast in the role. Badham broke a record at the time as the youngest actress ever to be nominated for an Oscar, and though she lost to Patty Duke, she's still frequently mentioned in discussions of great kid performances.
Luckily, Badham avoided the trajectory of so many troubled child stars. She acted in just a handful of project after "To Kill A Mockingbird," including the campy William Castle black comedy "Let's Kill Uncle," the Sydney Pollack drama "This Property is Condemned," and the final episode of "The Twilight Zone," in which her voice was awkwardly dubbed over. After just four years of acting, Badham stopped for decades. According to a Knoxville News Sentinel profile, she left her home in Alabama after the movie caused some friction between herself and racist white families in the area. Badham went to college in Arizona, where she met her husband, to whom she's still married today.
According to Village Living, Badham has devoted much of her life to education, giving speaking engagements about "To Kill A Mockingbird" and discussing the importance of literacy. Though she's technically retired, Badham still kept a full schedule as of 2018, working as both an art restorer and a college testing coordinator. She's also returned to filmmaking a few times, appearing in four movies (including a documentary about "Mockingbird") between 1998 and 2019. Incredibly, Badham also returned to the world of "To Kill A Mockingbird" just last year, playing Scout's elderly neighbor Mrs. Dubose in Aaron Sorkin's stage production.
Phillip Alford (Jem Finch)
Another Alabama-born actor who made his on-screen debut in "To Kill A Mockingbird," Phillip Alford played Scout's older brother Jem. According to the documentary "Fearful Symmetry: The Making of To Kill A Mockingbird," Alford was already acting on stage at a local theater when he learned about auditions for the movie. By the time the movie was released, Alford was 14 years old, and he soon ended up working on other projects. The James Stewart-led Civil War film "Shenandoah" is his only other feature film credit, but Alford appeared on TV on shows like "The Magical World of Disney," "The Virginian," and "CBS Playhouse."
After making the 1972 TV movie "Fair Play," Alford retired from acting. According to a New York Post write-up from 2015, Alford left Hollywood by age 22, becoming disillusioned after observing the industry's relationship with drugs. He ended up working in the construction industry alongside his father, per the outlet.
Robert Duvall (Boo Radley)
Legendary actor Robert Duvall got his start on television in the 1950s, but "To Kill A Mockingbird" marked his feature film debut — and what a debut it was. As local outcast Boo Radley, Duvall ends up with one of the film's most heroic moments, and the actor earned praise for his performance. Duvall went on to become one of Hollywood's most revered actors, earning an Oscar (in addition to six nominations), a BAFTA, two Emmys, and more.
Some of Duvall's major works include "The Godfather" films, "Apocalypse Now," "The Conversation," "Network," and "Invasion of the Body Snatchers." His official filmography currently tops out at 145 appearances on film and TV and counting, and though he understandably seems to be taking on fewer roles as he gets older (the actor is now 92), Duvall has not completely retired. In 2022 he appeared in the basketball drama "Hustle" and the Edgar Allen Poe movie "The Pale Blue Eye," and in 2021 Deadline reported that he'll star in Ed Harris' upcoming film "The Ploughman."
Post "Mockingbird," Duvall has also been active in philanthropy and politics. In previous decades, he vocally supported Republican politicians for President, even appearing at George W. Bush's inauguration, but in 2014, he told the Daily Beast the party is "a mess" and admitted he had become an Independent. Duvall and his fourth wife, Argentinian actor-director Luciana Pedraza, created the Robert Duvall Children's Fund, a conservation and education non-profit, in 2001.