Cary Grant

Carry Grant married Virgina Cherrill on February 10, 1934 and the couple got divorced on March 26, 1935.

In 1942, he got married for a second time to Barbara Hutton, one of the wealthiest women in the world. After divorce, the two remained friends.

On December 29, 1949, he married Betsy Drake, with whom he appeared in two films. This marriage ended on August 14, 1962.

Cary Grant was born as Archibald Alexander Leach to Elsie Maria and Elias James Leach in Bristol. He was told by his father that his mother had passed away, when in fact she was admitted to a mental institution. When he was just 10, his father abandoned him and remarried.

He studied at Fairfield Grammar School, from where he was expelled in 1918. He then joined the ‘Bob Pender Stage Troupe’, a comedy group, where he performed as a stilt walker.

At the age of 16, he travelled with his troupe on the RMS Olympic to the United States of America, where they were signed for a 2-year-tour.

He decided to stay in the U.S. while his group returned to England and he began taking baby steps into the world of Vaudeville.

Archibald Alexander Leach continued to use his birth name and performed in many stage shows such as ‘Irene’, ‘Music in May’, ‘Rio Rita’ and ‘Wonderful Night’ in 1931. He became known for his comic-timing and physical grace.

After a number of Broadway shows, he decided to make it big in Hollywood in 1931. He signed a contract with Paramount Pictures who proposed that he should officially change his name to Cary Grant.

He acted alongside Marlene Dietrich in ‘Blonde Venus’ in 1932 and was catapulted to fame with films ‘She Done Him Wrong’ and ‘I’m No Angel’ both of which were released in 1933. After a few unsuccessful movies with Paramount Pictures, he signed a contract with Columbia Pictures.

In 1937, his first major comedy hit, ‘Topper’, distributed by MGM was released. In the same year, he starred in ‘The Awful Truth’, the film which played a crucial role in establishing him as one of the most prolific and gifted actors in Hollywood.

He appeared in a number of screwball comedies like ‘Holiday’, ‘Bringing up Baby’ and ‘The Philadelphia Society’ in the late 1930s. He also starred in ‘Penny Serenade’ and ‘Suspicion’ in 1941, which became huge box-office successes.

‘She Done Him Wrong’ won him a lot of critical acclaim and was well-received at the box-office. The film made $2.2 million at the box office and Grant earned great recognition.

‘Penny Serenade’, released in 1941 earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for his heart-wrenching performance. Distributed by Columbia Pictures, a television adaptation and a half-hour radio play were also made on the movie.

‘None but the Lonely Heart’ released in 1944 once again earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role. This film which ran at the theatres for over six weeks became one of Grant’s most critically-acclaimed hits.