 Stewart was considered for the role of Atticus Finch in the 1962 film adaptation of Harper Lee's novel "To Kill a Mockingbird", but he turned it down, concerned that the story was too controversial.Next, Stewart appeared as part of an all-star cast—including Henry Fonda and John Wayne—in "How the West Was Won", a Western epic released in early 1962.The film went on to win three Academy Awards and reap massive box-office figures.