(1908 – 1997) Actor. A quintessentially nice guy, whether in Frank Capra classics like It’s a Wonderful Life (1939) or Hitchcock’s Vertigo (1958), where he epitomized ambivalent virtue within moral dilemmas beyond his control. Stewart’s Midwestern drawl and gawky presence nonetheless became the stuff of a Second World War pilot and a leading man for over four decades, until the 1970s. He won an Oscar for Philadelphia Story (1940) and for lifetime achievement (1985), as well as tributes by the American Film Institute and the Kennedy Center, and the Medal of Freedom (1985). The Los Angeles, CA airport is named after him.