Mary Badham, the actress who played Scout in the original 1962 movie adaptation of To Kill a Mockingbird, is taking on a role in Aaron Sorkin’s Broadway adaptation of Harper Lee’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel.
According to The New York Times, Badham is currently rehearsing to play Mrs. Dubose, Scout’s mean morphine-addicted neighbor, for the production’s upcoming national tour.
“I’m going full circle,” Badham told the newspaper. “This is something I never contemplated.”
The Birmingham native was just 10 years old when she was cast as Scout Finch. Her portrayal of the story’s young protagonist earned her an Academy Award nomination. Despite her initial success, Badham didn’t stay long in Hollywood. The mother-of-two went on to work in cosmetics and later became a certified nursing assistant.
Now 69 years old, Badham describes herself as “just a retired old lady who likes to be in her garden and play with her grandkids.”
“I’m not an actor,” she told the Times. “Acting is something that has just happened to me.”
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After receiving a call “out of the blue,” Badham recalled “agonizing” over the decision to take the part because the character uses racist language. She said it was her Black friends who encouraged her to take it, reminding her of the positive message in the story.
The To Kill A Mockingbird tour kicks off March 27 in Buffalo, New York, with stops scheduled for Charlotte and Durham, North Carolina. Visit tokillamockingbirdbroadway.com for more information.
