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Oscar-nominee Mary Badham takes Fox Theatre stage in 'To Kill a Mockingbird'

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Published  May 6, 2024 9:38am EDT
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FOX 5 Atlanta

Mary Badham returns to 'Mockingbird'

Mary Badham scored an Oscar nomination for her portrayal of Scout Finch in the 1962 version of 'To Kill a Mockingbird.' Now she's returning to the Southern classic in a different role as part of Aaron Sorkin's searing stage adaptation.

ATLANTA - Even as a light rain falls over Atlanta Botanical Garden, Mary Badham takes time to appreciate the vibrant greens, golds, and pinks.

"I just love gardening. My mother was British; I think I come by it naturally," says Badham. "Every state we’ve been to, I’ve tried to get to their local botanical gardens."

That’s a lot of gardens — because Badham has spent the past two years crisscrossing the country on tour, playing Mrs. Henry Dubose in "To Kill a Mockingbird," Aaron Sorkin’s searing adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Harper Lee. 

But Badham’s association with Lee’s classic story stretches back far earlier than the current tour. In 1962, the actress gained critical acclaim and an Oscar nomination for playing Scout, the central character in the film adaptation of "To Kill a Mockingbird," alongside Gregory Peck as lawyer Atticus Finch.

"I was a little kid! I didn’t know anything," Badham said of filming the movie. "I didn’t know who Harper Lee was, I didn’t know anything about the book … I came to it just as a blank sheet of paper."

Badham says Peck became a real-life father figure: "He just was an 'Atticus.' He was great. And I’d go over to their house and spend weekends with them."

As for that Oscar nomination — which came when she was just 10 years old, making her the youngest-ever best supporting actress nominee at that time — Badham says she remembers "praying desperately that I would not win because I had no idea what I was going to say! And thank goodness, Patty Duke won it."

But with her indelible performance, Badham became forever linked to "To Kill a Mockingbird." And now, with her on-stage work in the current tour, she continues helping new generations discover the American masterpiece. 

"To Kill a Mockingbird" (also starring Emmy Award winner Richard Thomas as Atticus Finch) opens at The Fox Theatre on Tuesday, May 7 and runs through Sunday, May 12 as part of the current Broadway in Atlanta season. For more information on the show, click here.