100 Heroes: Cary Grant
The gay man who became one of Hollywood's leading men.
Cary Grant was an actor who became of classic Hollywood's definitive leading men.
Early Life
Born in 1904 as Archibald Leach, Grant was born and raised in Bristol, England.
He became attracted to theatre at a young age when he visited the Bristol Hippodrome.
Career
At 16, Grant went as a stage performer with the Pender Troupe for a tour of the US. After a series of successful performances in New York City, he decided to stay there. He established a name for himself in vaudeville in the 1920s and toured the United States before moving to Hollywood in the early 1930s.
Establishing himself as a film star, Grant was known for his Mid-Atlantic accent, debonair demeanour, light-hearted approach to acting, and sense of comic timing.
He was nominated twice for the Academy Award, was honoured with an Academy Honorary Award in 1970, and received the Kennedy Center Honor in 1981.
He was named the second greatest male star of the Golden Age of Hollywood by the American Film Institute in 1999.
Personal Life
Grant was married five times and had one daughter.
Throughout his career, there was speculation about Grant's sexuality. For a number of years he lived with fellow actor Randolph Scott, with many assuming that their relationship was sexual. The two men met in 1932 when they worked on a film together.
Grant died of a stroke in 1986, he was 82.