Cary Grant

Acting • Born 1904-01-18 – Died 1986-11-29

Acting3Horfield, Bristol, England, UK

Biography

Cary Grant (born Archibald Alec Leach; January 18, 1904 – November 29, 1986) was a British-American actor, celebrated for his debonair charm, impeccable comic timing, and sophisticated screen presence. He became one of Hollywood’s most iconic leading men, starring in classics such as Bringing Up Baby (1938), His Girl Friday (1940), Notorious (1946), and North by Northwest (1959). Grant had a difficult childhood, marked by his mother’s institutionalization and his father’s alcoholism. At 16, he joined the Pender Troupe, a group of acrobats, which led him to New York City, where he built a career in vaudeville before transitioning to Hollywood in the early 1930s. His breakthrough came with screwball comedies, where his witty delivery and effortless charisma made him a favorite among audiences. He worked with legendary directors such as Howard Hawks, Alfred Hitchcock, and George Cukor, solidifying his reputation as a versatile and enduring star. Grant was married five times, but his longtime companionship with fellow actor Randolph Scott fueled speculation about his sexuality. The two lived together for over a decade, sharing a home in Los Angeles, which led to rumors that they were romantically involved. While Grant never publicly addressed these claims, some biographers suggest that his relationship with Scott was more than just friendship. Despite the speculation, Grant maintained a carefully curated public image, often portraying the ideal romantic lead opposite Hollywood’s most glamorous actresses, including Katharine Hepburn, Ingrid Bergman, and Grace Kelly. Grant retired from acting in 1966, choosing to focus on business ventures and his family. He received an Academy Honorary Award in 1970 and was honored with the Kennedy Center Award in 1981. He passed away on November 29, 1986, at the age of 82. His legacy remains unmatched, with the American Film Institute ranking him as the second greatest male star of Hollywood’s Golden Age. His timeless appeal, effortless sophistication, and enigmatic personal life continue to fascinate audiences and film historians alike.

Filmography

161 credits

Arsenic and Old Lace

Movie • 1944

Mortimer Brewster

North by Northwest

Movie • 1959

Roger Thornhill

Notorious

Movie • 1946

T.R. Devlin

Bringing Up Baby

Movie • 1938

David Huxley

To Catch a Thief

Movie • 1955

John Robie

The Philadelphia Story

Movie • 1940

C.K. Dexter Haven

Houseboat

Movie • 1958

Tom Winters

His Girl Friday

Movie • 1940

Walter Burns

On Assignment: 'His Girl Friday'

Movie • 2006

Self (archive footage)

Once Upon a Time... 'Notorious'

Movie • 2009

Self (archive footage)

Ingrid Bergman Remembered

Movie • 1996

Self (archive footage)

Charade

Movie • 1963

Peter Joshua

Hollywood Heaven: Tragic Lives, Tragic Deaths

Movie • 1990

(archive footage)

Father Goose

Movie • 1964

Walter Christopher Eckland

Indiscreet

Movie • 1958

Philip Adams

Destination Tokyo

Movie • 1943

Captain Cassidy

Topper

Movie • 1937

George Kerby

The Pride and the Passion

Movie • 1957

Anthony

Monkey Business

Movie • 1952

Barnaby Fulton

People Will Talk

Movie • 1951

Dr. Noah Praetorius

The Talk of the Town

Movie • 1942

Leopold Dilg

Suspicion

Movie • 1941

John D. 'Johnnie' Aysgarth

I Was a Male War Bride

Movie • 1949

Capt. Henri Rochard

An Affair to Remember

Movie • 1957

Nickie Ferrante

Sylvia Scarlett

Movie • 1935

Jimmy Monkley

Gunga Din

Movie • 1939

Archibald Cutter

Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House

Movie • 1948

Jim Blandings

In Name Only

Movie • 1939

Alec Walker

Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid

Movie • 1982

(in "Suspicion") (archive footage)

Alice in Wonderland

Movie • 1933

Mock Turtle

The Grass Is Greener

Movie • 1960

Victor Rhyall

That Touch of Mink

Movie • 1962

Philip Shayne

Operation Petticoat

Movie • 1959

Lieutenant Commander Matt Sherman

I'm No Angel

Movie • 1933

Jack Clayton

Blonde Venus

Movie • 1932

Nick Townsend

Sophia Loren, a special destiny

Movie • 2019

Self (archive footage)

The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer

Movie • 1947

Richard Nugent

The Amazing Quest of Ernest Bliss

Movie • 1936

Ernest Bliss

My Favorite Wife

Movie • 1940

Nick Arden

The Awful Truth

Movie • 1937

Jerry Warriner

Every Girl Should Be Married

Movie • 1948

Dr. Madison W. Brown

Night and Day

Movie • 1946

Cole Porter

Once Upon a Honeymoon

Movie • 1942

Patrick O'Toole

Penny Serenade

Movie • 1941

Roger Adams

She Done Him Wrong

Movie • 1933

Captain Cummings

Only Angels Have Wings

Movie • 1939

Geoff Carter

Holiday

Movie • 1938

Johnny Case

Walk Don't Run

Movie • 1966

Sir William Rutland

The Road to Victory

Movie • 1944

Cary Grant (uncredited)

Hollywood on Parade No. B-5

Movie • 1933

Self (archive footage) (uncredited)

The Killer of Fossil Gulch

Movie • 1970

The Victim / The Head Juror (archival footage)

George White's Scandals

Movie • 1945

Cary Grant (archive footage) (uncredited)

Pirate Party on Catalina Isle

Movie • 1935

Guest on Isle

Notre Dame de la Croisette

Movie • 1983

Self (archive footage) (uncredited)

Mr. Lucky

Movie • 1943

Joe Adams

Once Upon a Time

Movie • 1944

Jerry Flynn

Room for One More

Movie • 1952

George "Poppy" Rose

The Bishop's Wife

Movie • 1947

Dudley

Madame Butterfly

Movie • 1932

Lieutenant B.F. Pinkerton

The Howards of Virginia

Movie • 1940

Matt Howard

Hot Saturday

Movie • 1932

Romer Sheffield

The Woman Accused

Movie • 1933

Jeffrey Baxter

Suzy

Movie • 1936

Andre

The Toast of New York

Movie • 1937

Nick Boyd

None But the Lonely Heart

Movie • 1944

Ernie Mott

Crisis

Movie • 1950

Dr. Eugene Norland Ferguson

Kiss Them for Me

Movie • 1957

Cmdr. Andrew " Andy" Crewson

Dream Wife

Movie • 1953

Clemson Reade

When You're in Love

Movie • 1937

Jimmy Hudson

Showbiz Goes to War

Movie • 1982

(archive footage)

Devil and the Deep

Movie • 1932

Lt. Jaeckel

This Is the Night

Movie • 1932

Stephen Mathewson

Sinners in the Sun

Movie • 1932

Ridgeway

The Eagle and the Hawk

Movie • 1933

Henry Crocker

Born to Be Bad

Movie • 1934

Malcolm Trevor

Gambling Ship

Movie • 1933

Ace Corbin

Ladies Should Listen

Movie • 1934

Julian De Lussac

Wedding Present

Movie • 1936

Charlie Mason

Singapore Sue

Movie • 1932

First Sailor

Merrily We Go to Hell

Movie • 1932

Charlie Baxter

Thirty Day Princess

Movie • 1934

Porter Madison III

Wings in the Dark

Movie • 1935

Ken Gordon

Big Brown Eyes

Movie • 1936

Detective Sergeant Danny Barr

Enter Madame

Movie • 1935

Gerald Fitzgerald

The Last Outpost

Movie • 1935

Michael Andrews

Kiss and Make-Up

Self (archive footage)

Writing And Casting To Catch A Thief

Movie • 2002

Self (archive footage)

On Location with Gunga Din

Movie • 2004

Archibald Cutter (archive footage)

That's Entertainment!

Self

Grace Kelly – Hollywoods tragische Prinzessin

Movie • 2022

A Tribute to the Will Rogers Memorial Hospital

All Star Tribute to Ingrid Bergman

Movie • 1979

Self

All Star Party for Clint Eastwood

Movie • 1986

Self

Discovering Audrey Hepburn

Movie • 2015

Self (archive footage)

That's Dancing!

Movie • 1985

Self (archive footage)

Warner at War

Movie • 2008

(archive footage)

Mythos Côte d'Azur - Liebe, Luxus, Leidenschaft

Movie • 2021

Gay! Gay! Hollywood

Movie • 1994

EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert

Movie • 2026

Self (archive footage)

Becoming Marilyn

Movie • 2022

The Mystery of Marilyn Monroe: The Unheard Tapes

Movie • 2022

The American Film Institute Salute to ...

TV • 1973

Self

The Oscars

TV • 1953

Self

The Kennedy Center Honors

TV • 1978

Self

V.I.P. Schaukel

TV • 1971

Self

Spécial cinéma

TV • 1974

Self (archive footage)

Reflets de Cannes

TV • 1954

Self

Golden Globe Awards

TV • 1944

Self

Golden Globe Awards

TV • 1944

Self - Nominee / Presenter

MGM Parade

TV • 1955