Cary Grant, whose real name was Archibald Alec Leach, was an English American actor known for his suave and debonair style. He got his start in show business as a stage actor in the 1920s and then made his way to Hollywood in the 1930s. He appeared in many classic films that are still well-known and well-loved today. During the Golden Age of Hollywood, Cary Grant was considered a handsome, hunky heartthrob. Let’s look at the career and love-life of Cary Grant.
Cary Grant, who was born in 1904 in the United Kingdom, appeared in numerous movies throughout the 1930s and 1940s, making him one of the biggest stars of the Golden Age of Hollywood. Known for his good looks, charming personality, and smoldering sexiness, Grant was often cast in romantic comedies and thrillers. His performances in some of the top films of the time helped to establish him as a leading man and sex symbol.
Among Cary Grant’s more memorable films include the 1938 film Bringing Up Baby with Katharine Hepburn. He and Hepburn shared the screen again in 1940 in The Philadelphia Story, which also starred James Stewart. In that same year, Grant appeared in His Girl Friday, a screwball comedy, opposite Rosalind Russell. He starred in the dark comedy, Arsenic and Old Lace in 1944. Alfred Hitchcock cast him in the 1955 romantic crime thriller To Catch a Thief in 1955 and the 1959 thriller North by Northwest. He shared the screen with Audrey Hepburn in the 1963 romantic thriller Charade. In all, Grant appeared in more than 70 films throughout his career.
Cary Grant was twice nominated for Academy Awards, but never won an Oscar. His first nomination was for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his performance in Penny Serenade in 1941. He was nominated again in the same category for his leading role in None but the Lonely Heart in 1944. Despite his lack of Academy Award victories, Grant was still highly regarded as an actor, achieved great success in the industry, and has become an enduring icon of the Golden Age of Hollywood.
Cary Grant’s love life was the subject of tabloid scrutiny. Throughout his life, Grant was linked to a number of famous actresses, including Sophia Loren, Audrey Hepburn, and Marilyn Monroe. He was married five times and had one child, a daughter Jennifer Grant. His first marriage, to actress Virginia Cherrill in 1934, lasted only one year. In 1942, he married Barbara Hutton, a socialite and heiress to the Woolworth fortune. They divorced in 1945. In 1949, Grant married Betsy Drake, a writer and actress. They remained married until 1962. He then married actress and photographer Dyan Cannon in 1965. They had one child together before divorcing in 1968. Finally, in 1981, Grant married Barbara Harris, a British publicist. They were together until his death in 1986.
As one of the biggest stars of Hollywood’s Golden Age, Cary Grant’s popularity continued to endure even after his death. Many of his movies are considered classics and his name often appears on lists of Hollywood’s most handsome and charming leading men.