About
Born Archibald Alec Leach in Bristol, England, Cary Grant became one of the greatest stars of Hollywood cinema. After joining an acrobatic troupe at 14, he emigrated to the United States and was signed by Paramount in 1931, which gave him his stage name. His career spanned 1932 to 1966, with over 70 films, including classics like 'Bringing Up Baby', 'His Girl Friday', 'The Philadelphia Story', 'Notorious', 'North by Northwest', and 'Charade'. Nominated twice for the Academy Award for Best Actor, he received an Honorary Oscar in 1970. A pioneer of actor independence, he negotiated his own contracts. He received a Kennedy Center Honor in 1981 and was ranked the second greatest male star of classic Hollywood cinema by the AFI in 1999.
* 1904-01-18 — † 1986-11-28
Major works
- Bringing Up Baby (1938)film
- His Girl Friday (1940)film
- The Philadelphia Story (1940)film
- Notorious (1946)film
- North by Northwest (1959)film
Key milestones
- 1931Signed by Paramount Pictures, which gave him the name Cary Grant.
- 1970Received an Honorary Academy Award for his unique mastery of the art of screen acting.
- 1981Received a Kennedy Center Honor.
Themes
Screwball comedySuspenseRomanceCharm and eleganceArtistic independence
Sources: oac.cdlib.org · kennedy-center.org · historicengland.org.uk
