Richard Thomas Cast As Atticus In ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ National Tour

Richard Thomas will play the role of Atticus Finch in the national tour of Aaron Sorkin’s To Kill A Mockingbird. The play, based on the novel by Harper Lee, begins a coast-to-coast tour August 25, 2020, at the previously announced John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.

The casting was announced today by producer Scott Rudin.

Director Bartlett Sher called Thomas “one of the best stage actors in America. He has the soul, kindness, and fire of idealism that the part demands, and I think audiences across the country will get an enormous gift in his Atticus.”

In a statement, Thomas said, “I’m thrilled to have been invited to play Atticus Finch. To be entrusted with the opportunity of bringing one of our great American stories to our great American playhouses across the country is a privilege.”

Thomas, best known for his long-running role as John Boy Walton on TV’s The Waltons, has a strong history on the stage. He last appeared on Broadway in a Tony-nominated role in the revival of The Little Foxes. Other stage credits include You Can’t Take It With You, Race, Democracy, Incident at Vichy, The Stendhal Syndrome and The Fifth of July, among many others.

Tony-nominated Jeff Daniels plays the role of Atticus in the Broadway production of Mockingbird at the Shubert Theatre.