Brock Peters Biography

Fast Facts

• Won a Life Achievement Award from the Screen Actors Guild
• His performance in Broadway's "Lost in the Stars" earned him a Tony Award nomination
• His work was honored with a National Film Society Award
• Quit his physical education studies at City College of New York to go on tour with "Porgy and Bess․"
• Decided he wanted to go into show business when he was 10 years old, but despite graduating from the High School of Music and Art, he initially had to work odd jobs to make ends meet
• Quote: "In art there is compassion, in compassion there is humanity, with humanity there is generosity and love․"
• Appeared in several notable science fiction projects, including two "Star Trek" feature films, "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" and "Soylent Green․"
• Best known for playing Tom Robinson, a black man falsely accused of rape, in the classic film "To Kill a Mockingbird․"
• Was floored when Gregory Peck called him shortly before filming "To Kill a Mockingbird" to welcome him to the production
• Read the eulogy for former co-star Gregory Peck at the actor's 2003 funeral