Cary Grant’s Wife And Daughter Opened Up About His Past

With his suave sophistication and slapstick charm, Cary Grant could play any role — the fool, the lover, the man's man — and always leave the audience wanting more. His films remain some of the most beloved of all time, but his ex-wife and only daughter recently revealed a side of the icon that not many were prepared for. Though the actor was rarely spotted without a smile, these revelations prove that the real Grant was nothing like the characters he portrayed.

A Hard Childhood

Born in Horfield, Bristol, as Archibald Alec Leach, Cary Grant's childhood in England wasn't an easy one. His father Elias was an alcoholic, and after placing Grant's clinically depressed mother in a mental institution, he remarried and abandoned Grant when he was just ten years old.

Young Performer

To escape his troubles, Grant (bottom right) pursued a stage career, touring as a stilt walker with the acrobatic dance troupe "The Penders." Although he earned a scholarship to attend Fairfield Grammar School in 1915, he was expelled three years later and took up touring full time.

Vaudeville Hit

As a member of "The Penders" and later of his own troupe, the "Jack Janis Company," Grant became a hit on the vaudeville scene. Even as the Great Depression took its toll, audiences turned out in droves for a taste of the young Englishman's undeniable charm.

The Sullivan Stamp of Approval

After rave reviews from Ed Sullivan, Grant was given a screen test by Paramount Publix and made his first film appearance in 1931's Singapore Sue. He was soon after signed to a five-year, $450/week contract by Paramount Pictures and officially adopted the stage name Cary Grant.