Few supporting players marked classic Hollywood cinema as much as Thomas Mitchell, an American actor born in New Jersey who also worked as a playwright and screenwriter. His weathered face brought to life Gerald O'Hara, Scarlett's father, in 'Gone with the Wind', the drinking Doc Boone of John Ford's 'Stagecoach', and the endearing Uncle Billy of 'It's a Wonderful Life'. For 'Stagecoach' he took home the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in 1940, and in time he became the first person to gather an Oscar, an Emmy and a Tony. His register combined warmth, humor and a worn humanity that made him indispensable in any ensemble cast. Read more