Cary Grant (January 18, 1904 – November 29, 1986), born Archibald Alec Leach, was an English-American actor. Known for his transatlantic accent, debonair demeanor, light-hearted approach to acting, and sense of comic timing, he was one of classic Hollywood's definitive leading men from the 1930s until the mid-1960s. He retired from film acting in 1966 and pursued numerous business interests, representing cosmetics firm Fabergé and sitting on the board of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. In 1970, he was presented with an Honorary Oscar by his friend Frank Sinatra at the 42nd Academy Awards, and he was accorded the Kennedy Center Honors in 1981. In 1999, the American Film Institute named him the second greatest male star of Golden Age Hollywood cinema, trailing only Humphrey Bogart.
SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY
She Done Him Wrong (1934)
The Awful Truth (1938)
The Philadelphia Story (1941)
Suspicion (1942)
The Talk of the Town (1943)
The Bishop's Wife (1948)
10 FUN FACTS!
Cary became a father for the first time at age 62, when his fourth wife, Dyan Cannon, gave birth to their daughter Jennifer Diane Grant in 1966.
Ian Fleming modeled the James Bond character partially with Cary Grant in mind. He actually was offered the role of James Bond in Dr. No (1962), but turned it down, believing himself to be too old (he was 58).
He gave his entire fee for The Philadelphia Story (1941) to the British war effort and donated his entire salary for Arsenic and Old Lace (1943) to the U.S. War Relief Fund.
Cary was a great fan of Elvis Presley and attended many of his Las Vegas shows.
He often spoke of his relationship with Sophia Loren as one of the most passionate romances of his life. He fell madly in love with her while filming The Pride and the Passion (1957) when he was 53 and she was 22. Cary even proposed to her, but she turned him down.
His favorite aftershave was Acqua Di Parma.
Cary has said that Indiscreet (1958) was his favorite of his films and Grace Kelly, who he starred with in To Catch a Thief (1955) was his favorite leading lady.
His final appearance at the Academy Awards was in 1985, to present Jimmy Stewart with an honorary Oscar for lifetime achievement.
According to his will, Cary’s body was to be cremated and no funeral service held. His ashes were scattered in the Pacific Ocean.
On the American Film Institute’s list of Top 100 U.S. Love Stories, Cary leads all actors with six of his films on the list: An Affair to Remember (1957), The Philadelphia Story (1941), To Catch a Thief (1955), Bringing Up Baby (1938), The Awful Truth (1938), and Notorious (1946).