Which actor played Jem Finch in the 1962 film To Kill a Mockingbird?

Phillip Alford played Jem Finch in the 1962 film To Kill a Mockingbird.

Alford portrayed Jeremy Atticus “Jem” Finch, Atticus Finch's older child and Scout's brother. Jem's development gives the film much of its emotional arc: he begins as an adventurous boy fascinated by Boo Radley and gradually confronts the cruelty and injustice surrounding Tom Robinson's trial.

The role was Alford's film debut. He came from Birmingham, Alabama's Town and Gown Civic Theatre, and the theater's director contacted his mother about an audition. After reaching the final group of candidates, Alford traveled to New York for a screen test and won the part. He acted opposite Mary Badham, who played Scout, and Gregory Peck, who played Atticus.

Viewers sometimes confuse Alford with Brock Peters, who played Tom Robinson, or Robert Duvall, who made his screen debut as Boo Radley. Alford later appeared in productions including Shenandoah, but he eventually left acting and became a businessman.