Which actress played Scout Finch in the 1962 film?

Mary Badham played Scout Finch in the 1962 film To Kill a Mockingbird. She portrayed Jean Louise “Scout” Finch, the child narrator whose perspective shapes the story.

Badham had no previous film-acting experience when she was cast. Her performance opposite Gregory Peck, who played Atticus Finch, earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. At age 10, she became the youngest nominee in that category at the time.

The role is often confused with Patty Duke’s Oscar-winning performance as Helen Keller in The Miracle Worker. Badham did not win the award; Duke did. Badham later appeared in The Twilight Zone and two 1966 films before largely stepping away from acting. She remained closely associated with the character and maintained a friendship with Peck until his death in 2003.