When Gregory Peck Spoke, The World Watched
Some actors play heroes. Gregory Peck became them. His presence on screen was as commanding as it was magnetic. When he stepped into a role, it felt less like acting and more like destiny. Let’s countdown his best together!
25. The Stalking Moon
Peck stars as Sam Varner in The Stalking Moon. He was a retiring army scout who aids a woman and her half-Apache son. As they seek refuge at his ranch, they are pursued by the boy's vengeful father, which leads to a suspenseful confrontation in this Western thriller.
The Stalking Moon (1968) Trailer HD | Gregory Peck | Eva Marie Saint by Film Trailer Channel
24. Behold A Pale Horse
In Behold a Pale Horse, Manuel Artiguez came to life. Who was he? An aging Republican guerrilla living in exile. Drawn back to Francoist Spain by personal motives, he faces old adversaries and moral quandaries, reflecting the remaining scars of the Spanish Civil War.
BEHOLD A PALE HORSE: The Best Film Edit (and Why It Matters) by Todd Sandler
23. Designing Woman
What could a sports writer and a woman in fashion have in common? Well, in Designing Woman. After a whirlwind romance and impromptu marriage to a fashion designer, played by Lauren Bacall, the couple hilariously faces clashing lifestyles and blends sports and high fashion in this classic romantic comedy.
22. Mackenna's Gold
Peck embarks on a perilous journey through the canyons of the Wild West as Sheriff Mackenna in Mackenna's Gold and chases a fabled cache of gold. Facing treacherous lands and dubious companions, the 1969 Hollywood classic mixes action with a classic "hidden treasure" trope.
Columbia Pictures, Wikimedia Commons
21. Captain Newman, MD
In Captain Newman, MD, Peck portrays Captain Josiah Newman, a dedicated psychiatrist at a military hospital during World War II. His character makes us understand the human psyche and balances compassion with the absurdities of war.
Captain Newman, M.D. | English Full Movie | Comedy Drama War by Reel Vision Movies
20. The Bravados
Gregory Peck saddles up as Jim Douglass in The Bravados. His mission? To avenge his wife's murder. Tracking down four outlaws, he confronts the harsh realities of vengeance, which leads to unexpected moral dilemmas in this gripping Western tale.
29th Century Fox, Wikimedia Commons
19. The Boys From Brazil
Evil came alive in Peck’s character this time. He played Dr Josef Mengele, a ruthless Nazi doctor masterminding a chilling experiment to clone Adolf Hitler—a terrifying plot uncovered by a relentless Nazi hunter.
The Boys from Brazil • 1978 • Theatrical Trailer by Discape
18. On The Beach
No explosions, no last-minute heroics, just the quiet, crushing weight of knowing the clock is running out. In On the Beach, Gregory Peck leads a cast of survivors facing the unthinkable: a world slipping away and nothing left to do but wait for the inevitable.
United Artists, Wikimedia Commons
17. How The West Was Won
Peck traded his usual noble roles for a little mischief in How the West Was Won. As Cleve Van Valen, a smooth-talking gambler with luck as unpredictable as the frontier itself, it wasn’t gold he was after; he was out to win the West on his own terms.
HOW THE WEST WAS WON ('62) by FETV
16. The Yearling
A touching story of a struggling ex-Confederate soldier trying to build a life for his family was told in this one. The bond Peck shared with his young son and the fawn they raised together is tender, but the film doesn’t shy away from life’s harsh realities.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Wikimedia Commons
15. Mirage
One minute, he’s an ordinary accountant. Next, he’s running for his life with no memory of why. Mirage throws Gregory Peck into a twisting maze of mystery, danger, and deadly secrets, where every answer raises more questions. The Major? He’s always one step ahead.
Universal Studios Entertainment, Wikimedia Commons
14. The Keys Of The Kingdom
Just imagine being tested on every turn. That was basically Peck's role in this film. In The Keys of the Kingdom, his father fought through combat, doubt, and sheer pandemonium of missionary work in China. It demonstrates that kindness and perseverance can move mountains.
The Keys of the Kingdom (1944), Twentieth Century Fox
13. Gentleman’s Agreement
Gregory Peck took on one of his most daring roles in Gentleman’s Agreement, playing a journalist who goes undercover as Jewish to expose deep-seated anti-Semitism. His quiet intensity and moral conviction made every confrontation sting, which forced audiences to face uncomfortable truths about discrimination in post-war America.
20th Century Fox, Wikimedia Commons
12. Captain Horatio Hornblower
Sailing into danger was just another day at work for Captain Horatio Hornblower. Gregory Peck brought strategy and steel nerves to this Napoleonic-era adventure while dodging enemy fire and proving that sometimes, the sharpest weapon on a ship isn’t a cannon; it’s the man in charge.
11. Moby Dick
Captain Ahab wasn’t just hunting a whale, he was chasing vengeance with every fiber of his being. Gregory Peck turned obsession into something raw and terrifying. He commanded the screen with every glare and growl. In the movie, the sea was vast, but Ahab’s madness was even bigger.
10. Yellow Sky
A gang of outlaws on the run, a no-nonsense woman with a rifle, and a ghost town hiding more than just dust. Yellow Sky had all the makings of a showdown. Gregory Peck’s rugged outlaw thinks he’s found easy pickings, but some fights aren’t won with bullets alone.
Twentieth Century, Yellow Sky (1948)
9. Spellbound
Gregory Peck dove headfirst into Hitchcockian suspense in Spellbound, playing a man who might be a murderer or might just be losing his mind. He was an amnesia-stricken doctor tangled in a web of deception; he kept audiences guessing with every haunted look and hesitant step.
Selznick International Pictures, Wikimedia Commons
8. The Guns Of Navarone
No character could outsmart every movie quite like Peck did. As Captain Mallory, he led a ragtag team on a near-impossible mission to destroy superguns. Every close call, double-cross, and last-second escape made The Guns of Navarone an edge-of-your-seat spectacle.
7. The Omen
Gregory Peck signed up for politics, not paranormal horror, but The Omen had other plans. As mysterious deaths pile up and priests start screaming prophecies, his ambassador slowly pieces together a nightmare. His adorable little boy might just be humanity’s worst-case scenario.
The Omen (1976), Twentieth Century Fox
6. The Gunfighter
Being the best with a gun is great until it isn’t. Gregory Peck’s Jimmy Ringo could outdraw any man alive, but all he wanted was to hang up his holster. It’s too bad every young punk with something to prove wanted a piece of him first.
Twentieth Century, The Gunfighter (1950)
5. Twelve O’Clock High
Gregory Peck owned the screen as Brigadier General Frank Savage in Twelve O’Clock High, a war drama that put the weight of leadership on full display. He starts as a tough, no-nonsense commander, but as the pressure mounts, cracks begin to show.
Twelve O'Clock High 1949 Gregory Peck, Hugh Marlowe & Dean Jagger by DK Classics
4. Cape Fear
You might say Peck was only playing heroic roles, but that wasn’t the case here. He was a man trapped in a waking nightmare. As a lawyer with a dangerous past case haunting him, he faces Robert Mitchum’s Max Cady, the human personification of pure, unshakable revenge.
Universal Pictures, Wikimedia Commons
3. The Big Country
Gregory Peck rolled into Texas thinking he was there for love. Funnily, it turns out he signed up for a full-blown frontier brawl. In The Big Country, his city-bred sea captain gets tossed into a land war where words don’t mean much, but fists and bullets sure do.
United Artists, Wikimedia Commons
2. Roman Holiday
Gregory Peck’s dashing reporter meets Audrey Hepburn’s sheltered princess, and the result is pure movie magic. They get swept into an unexpected adventure. From mischievous Vespa rides to stolen glances by the Spanish Steps, their chemistry makes every moment feel spontaneous and heartbreakingly real.
Roman Holiday, Paramount Pictures, 1953
1. To Kill A Mockingbird
Gregory Peck didn’t just act as Atticus Finch—he became Atticus Finch. He made the small-town lawyer a living, breathing symbol of justice. His courtroom monologue still stops people in their tracks, and his plea for fairness in an unfair world is as powerful today as it was then.
