AFI voted Atticus Finch the greatest hero of American cinema in 2003.
The American Film Institute placed Atticus Finch at No. 1 on its 100 Years…100 Heroes & Villains list, announced during a CBS television special in June 2003. The ranking concerns the screen version of the character, portrayed by Gregory Peck in the 1962 film To Kill a Mockingbird.
Atticus is a widowed Alabama lawyer who defends Tom Robinson, a Black man falsely accused of raping a white woman. Although the trial exposes Maycomb’s racism, Atticus’s commitment to due process and moral courage makes him the film’s central heroic figure.
A frequent mix-up is choosing Scout, the novel’s narrator, or Tom Robinson, whose wrongful prosecution drives the courtroom plot. Boo Radley is also important to the story, but AFI’s honor specifically recognized Atticus as a cinematic hero. Peck won the Academy Award for Best Actor for the role.