Gregory Peck was one of the most iconic actors of Hollywood's golden age. Known for Roman Holiday and his Oscar-winning performance as Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird, he is still considered one of the best actors of all time. Luckily his acting abilities passed down to future generations as his grandson, Ethan Peck, is currently a rising actor in Los Angeles.
Named for his grandfather, Ethan Gregory Peck was raised in California, but his acting career really wasn't influenced by his iconic paternal grandfather or even his father, Stephen Peck, a former actor/filmmaker and Vietnam veteran.
"He was just Grandpa to me," Ethan told PEOPLE. "He passed when I was 17, and I don't recall ever having a conversation with him about acting. I have so many questions for him now."
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Ethan kicked off his film career with a role in Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen's Passport to Paris followed by roles on TV shows including The Drew Carey Show, That '70s Show, the role of Patrick Verona on ABC Family's 10 Things I Hate About You, Gossip Girl, and Madam Secretary. Though he attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, he dropped out after three years of theater to pursue his acting career. Seems like the right call because he's appeared in numerous films including The Sorcerer's Apprentice, In Time, Adopt a Sailor, Mine Games, The Curse of Sleeping Beauty, The Honor List, The Holiday Calendar, and The Midnight Sky.
Ethan explained to Maxim that sometimes people ask him if his legendary grandfather's incredible legacy feels like a burden or huge weight to take on.
"I don't feel like that at all, because there's also a distance. I don't do this because of him, as hard as that might be to believe."
He elaborated more on his relationship with his grandfather to Watch magazine, saying, "The truth is I didn't feel that close to him—unfortunately there wasn't that much opportunity. So I don't feel that connected to him."
"However, I do feel deeply connected to my father, and I think from him I've inherited the qualities that Gregory Peck is famous for. My father is a great man," he said.
Ethan recently made a name for himself among sci-fi fans playing the iconic role of Spock in the second season of the CBS All Access series Star Trek: Discovery which he will reprise in the upcoming Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. He also appeared in Penny Dreadful: City of Angels in 2020.
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