Hollywood is mourning the loss of Harper Lee, who died on Friday in her hometown of Monroeville, Alabama. She was 89.
The legendary author of To Kill a Mockingbird was remembered by the stars of the classic 1962 film adaptation of her bestselling novel, as well as other actors, screenwriters and authors.
Robert Duvall, who played the mysterious Boo Radley in “To Kill a Mockingbird” — his bigscreen debut — praised the late author’s body of work in a statement.
“Harper Lee was a fine person and a wonderful writer,” he said. “‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ was a masterpiece. I was privileged to be in the film version adapted to the screen by her good friend Horton Foote. I only hope that the film did justice to the book. She will be fondly remembered by many.”
Mary Badham, the actress who played Scout, Atticus Finch’s (played by Gregory Peck) daughter in the film, had maintained a friendship with the author for more than 50 years. She was nominated for a best actress Oscar in 1963 for the role — the youngest actress to receive that honor at the time.
“I think that we have all benefited from her work and her fight for social justice,” Badham told the Daily News Friday. “I’m very sad at her loss. She will be very fondly remembered.”
Aaron Sorkin, who’s writing a new Broadway adaptation of “To Kill a Mockingbird,” also released a statement
“Like millions of others, I was saddened to learn this morning of the passing of Harper Lee, one of America’s most beloved authors,” he said. “I’m honored to have the opportunity to adapt her seminal novel for the stage.”
Oprah Winfrey, Ava DuVernay, Reese Witherspoon and Apple CEO Tim Cook also mourned the author.
“Harper Lee (was) my 1st favorite author! I always wanted to interview her. She said ‘Honey, I already said everything I had to say.’ #RIPHarperLee,” Oprah Winfrey tweeted.
