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11904: A Young Cary Grant
Bettmann//Getty ImagesCary Grant was born Archibald Alexander Leach in Bristol, England on January 18, 1904. His father worked as a garment factory worker in the port town, while his mother stayed home to raise him. At the age of 9, Grant was told his mother left for a long holiday, which she never returned from. In reality, she had was committed by Grant's father to a mental institution after suffering from depression for years after the loss of a previous child. Grant didn't learn the truth until he was in his 30s.
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21918: Leaving Home
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31918: Life as a Performer
John Kobal Foundation//Getty ImagesJoining the show helped Grant define his performance skills. As part of the troupe, he appeared in comedy sketches, acrobatic shows, and even became a stilt walker.
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41920: Coming to America
George Rinhart//Getty ImagesGrant was part of the troupe for two years, when he joined them on a tour of the United States in 1920. After the tour, Grant decided to stay in New York City and pursue acting.
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51923: Working on Broadway
John Engstead//Getty ImagesThe actor had a hard time finding work in NYC, so he picked up odd jobs around the city, including as a stilt walker on Coney Island on weekends. By 1923, he landed some small roles on Broadway, including in the musical Golden Dawn.
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61928: A Missed Opportunity
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71931: His Big Break
Print Collector//Getty ImagesIn 1931, Grant landed a starring role in the Broadway play Nikki, alongside screen star Fay Wray. It was this musical that caught the attention of Hollywood and after it wrapped, Grant moved to Los Angeles.
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81931: Signing With a Studio
Print Collector//Getty ImagesAfter screen testing at Paramount Pictures, the studio signed Grant to a five-year contract with a starting salary of $450 a week.
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91931: Becoming Cary Grant
Otto Dyar//Getty ImagesDuring his time in New York City, Grant went by Archie Leach. But after signing with Paramount, he took the stage name Cary Grant. Cary was a nod to his character in the play Nikki, which led to him being discovered, while Grant was from a list of studio-approved surnames.
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101932: His First Film
LMPC//Getty ImagesIn 1932, Grant appeared in his first film, This is the Night, and received positive reviews. He appeared in six more films that year, including Madame Butterfly, Sinners in the Sun, and Blonde Venus, but they weren't all huge box office successes.
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111932: A New Roommate
Bettmann//Getty ImagesGrant moved in with his close friend, Randolph Scott, in 1932. After meeting on the Paramount lot while Grant was shooting Sinners in the Sun, the pair hit it off and ended up living together on and off for the next 12 years. There were rumors of the relationship being romantic, however many have disputed those claims, including Grant's wives.
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121933: A Big Movie
John Kobal Foundation//Getty ImagesHis first starring role in She Done Him Wrong solidified Grant's place as Hollywood's next leading man. He costarred with Mae West and the film was a monumental success. It helped Paramount avoid financial bankruptcy and was a major jumpstart to Grant's career.
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131934: Getting Married...and Divorced
Bettmann//Getty ImagesAfter meeting at a party, Grant fell hard for silent film star Virginia Cherrill. The two were married in February 1934 and, not even a year later, they separated. The marriage was legally dissolved in 1935, although they remained friends for life.
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141935: Parting Ways With Paramount
John Springer Collection//Getty ImagesDuring his five-year contract with Paramount, Grant not only become one of their leading stars, but also negotiated his contract up to $3,500 a week. Despite this, the actor was incredibly frustrated when the studio refused to lend him to MGM to star in Mutiny on the Bounty, which went on to win an Academy Award. After his contract ended, the star decided not to resign with Paramount or any other studio. Instead, he began contracting himself out on a film-by-film basis.
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151935: An Independent Actor
Bettmann//Getty ImagesThe same year that Grant struck out on his own, a feat no actor had been able to survive in Hollywood, he starred in RKO's Sylvia Scarlett. The film was not only a success, but proved that independent contracting could occur in the studio contract era.
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161937: A Fantastic Run
Herbert Dorfman//Getty ImagesThe 1937 release of the Topper marked a stretch of hits for Grant that carried the star into the next decade, from The Awful Truth to Penny Serenade.
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171938: On the Set of 'Bringing Up Baby'
John Springer Collection//Getty ImagesIn the 1938 film Bringing Up Baby, Grant shared the screen with Katharine Hepburn, Jimmy Stewart, and a leopard named Nissa. The screwball comedy, which was initially a flop, is now considered one of cinema's classic films.
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181939: The Cary Grant Type
Silver Screen Collection//Getty ImagesGrant became the archetype for male leading men in Hollywood. He typically played witty, charismatic, and polished characters, who ended up seducing the film's leading lady.
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191941: A Legal Name Change
Bettmann//Getty ImagesAlthough the film star's stage name was plastered all over the world, he was still legally Archie Leach. In 1941, he shed his given name and legally adopted Cary Grant. He's famously known for saying, "Everyone wants to be Cary Grant. Even I want to be Cary Grant."
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201941: Teaming Up With Hitchcock
Bettmann//Getty ImagesGrant's first thriller was a collaboration with director Alfred Hitchcock in Suspicion. The actor went on to star in three more films with the director including, North by Northwest, Notorious, and To Catch a Thief.
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