Cary Grant was born Archibald Leach on January 18, 1904 in Bristol, Gloucestershire, England, UK. He was raised in poverty and escaped it by joining a group of performers who made their way to the United States in 1920. One of Cary's special talents was stilt-walking. Eventually he made his way out to Hollywood and took his first screen test in 1929. He did not get good reviews. However, he perservered, and his first feature debut was in 1932. Shortly thereafter, he won leading roles. He co-starred with Nancy Carroll in 1932's " Hot Saturday ", followed by " The Woman Accused " in 1933.
Cary Grant went on to make several more movies before his contract with Paramount expired in 1937. Instead of permitting his contract to be renewed, Cary opted to wrest control of his career. He wanted to decide his own future by having the freedom to select his own scripts and films.
Although Cary is often remembered for his role in " Gunga Din ", it was the genre called " Screwball Comedy " where Cary met with great success. The movie "Topper" was his first big hit of this type and from there he seemed to carve a niche for himself in dapper, comedic roles. But his biggest success came in characters closely resembling his off-screen persona -- that of the suave, sophisticated, debonair gentleman. Roles such as the ones he portrayed in " Suspicion ", " Notorious ", " To Catch A Thief " and " North by Northwest " are among his most memorable.
Although Cary's movie career was successful, his ventures into marriage were not. His longest union to actress Betsy Drake lasted from 1949-1962. A brief marriage to actress Dyan Cannon during the 1960's, produced his only child, Jennifer. He finally found marital happiness in his fifth and final marriage to Barbara Harris, which lasted until his death. Cary Grant died on November 29, 1986 in Davenport, Iowa.
This brief bio doesn't begin to do this handsome and talented man justice. Why not stop by The Ultimate Cary Grant Page where you can read an indepth biography, study his filmography, download an ultimate Cary Grant desktop theme, chat with other Cary fans or join a mailing list. This is a very extensive site with so much to offer, and I've only listed a few of its features. It should not be missed! Another very nice site is Shrine to Cary Grant where you will find a huge assortment of photos from most of Cary's movies, critiques of his films, lots of sound files and many other surprises, as as well as loads of links to several wonderful Hollywood related websites. While you're at it, why not stop by Meredy's Place and play the Cary Grant Trivia Game!