George Bailey (It's a Wonderful Life)
George Bailey is a fictional character and the protagonist in Frank Capra's 1946 film It's a Wonderful Life. The character is a building and loan banker who sacrifices his dreams in order to help his community of Bedford Falls to the point where he feels life has passed him by. Eventually, due to difficulties in keeping the building and loan solvent, Bailey falls into despair so deep that he contemplates suicide, until a guardian angel, Clarence Odbody, gives him a valuable perspective on the worth of his life. George finds through Odbody's angelic power and gift what life would be like if he didn't have his wife, Mary, his children and friends, and what their lives and the social structure of Bedford Falls would be like without him.
| George Bailey | |
|---|---|
| It's a Wonderful Life character | |
James Stewart as George Bailey in It's a Wonderful Life | |
| In-universe information | |
| Full name | George Bailey Born 1907 Bedford Falls, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation |
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| Family | Peter Bailey (father; deceased) Irene Bailey (mother) Harry Bailey (brother) |
| Spouse | Mary Hatch (m. 1932–) |
| Children | Pete (born 1934) Janie (born 1935) Zuzu (born 1940) Tommy (born 1941) |
| Relatives | Billy Bailey (uncle) Laura Bailey (aunt; deceased) Eustace Bailey (cousin) Tilly Bailey (cousin) Ruth Bailey (sister-in-law) Marty Hatch (brother-in-law) |
Bailey is played by James Stewart as an adult and Bobby Anderson as a child, and is loosely based on George Pratt, a character in Philip Van Doren Stern's 1943 booklet The Greatest Gift.
The character was portrayed by Pete Davidson in a 2020 television special.