Profile of Mary Badham on Famous Like Me

Mary Badham (born October 7, 1952, Birmingham, Alabama), an American child actress best known for her portrayal of Jean Louise 'Scout' Finch in the 1962 film To Kill A Mockingbird.

The sister of director John Badham, Mary had no prior film acting experience before being cast in "Mockingbird," yet her natural and ingratiating performance earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Another child actress, Patty Duke, won the award that year for her work in "The Miracle Worker" (1962).

During the filming of "Mockingbird" Badham became particularly close to Gregory Peck, who played her character's father, Atticus Finch, and afterwards, she remained in touch with him, always calling him 'Atticus', until his death in 2003.

Her second best-known role, after "Mockingbird," is as 'Sport Sharewood' in the classic "Twilight Zone" episode, "The Bewitchin' Pool," written by Earl Hamner, Jr., that first aired in 1964. She also appeared in the films "Let's Kill Uncle" (1966) and "This Property Is Condemned" (1966) before retiring from the acting profession.

At the urging of actor/writer/director Cameron Watson, Badham came out of retirement to play an offbeat cameo opposite Keith Carradine for his film "Our Very Own" (2005). Watson stated he would not accept any other actress for the part. He had managed to track Mary down in Monroeville, Alabama, where she had been invited to attend a stage version of "To Kill a Mockingbird."

At present Mary is an art restorer and a college testing coordinator. Married to a school teacher, and the mother of two, she also travels around the world recalling her wonderful experiences making "To Kill a Mockingbird" while expounding on the book's messages of tolerance and compassion.

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