Cary Grant

 
Quote: Everyone tells me I've had such an interesting life, but sometimes I think it's been nothing but stomach disturbances and self-concern.

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Cary Grant was born Archibald Alec Leach. At age nine, he came home from school one day and was told his mother had gone off to a seaside resort. The real truth, however, was that she had been placed in a mental institution, where she would remain for years, and he was never told about it (he wouldn't see his mother again until he was in his late 20s).Grant ran an away from home at age 13 to join a mime troupe. His father tracked him down and brought him home, but he ran away again and rejoined the troupe.

Thanks mainly to the strength and physical dexterity he gained as an acrobat when he was young, he did a majority of his own stunts during his film career (far more than people would think).

He gave his entire fee for The Philadelphia Story (1940) to the British war effort, he also donated his entire salary for Arsenic and Old Lace (1944) ($100,000) to the U.S. War Relief Fund.

Grant was pictured on a 37¢ USA commemorative postage stamp in the Legends of Hollywood series, issued 15 October 2002.

He fell madly in love with Sophia Loren while filming The Pride and the Passion (1957) when he was 53 and she was 22. At the time Grant was still married to actress Betsy Drake and Loren was involved with 45-year-old producer Carlo Ponti, who was also married. Both men eventually separated from their wives and proposed to Loren at the same time; she chose Ponti.

He replaced James Stewart as hapless ad man Roger Thornhill in North by Northwest (1959). Stewart very much wanted the role, but director Alfred Hitchcock decided not to cast him because of the box-office failure of Vertigo (1958), which Hitchcock blamed on Stewart for looking "too old" and chose Grant instead, even though he was actually four years older.

Grant eagerly sought William Holden's role in The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957), but the producers decided he was not right for the role, and in any case they felt he was too old at 53.

Grant Turned down the role of James Bond in Dr. No (1962), believing himself to be too old at age 58 to play the hero. The role went to Sean Connery instead.

His biggest box-office success was another Hitchcock 1950s film, North by Northwest (1959), made with Eva Marie Saint since Kelly was by that time Princess of Monaco.

Grant eventually became alienated by the new realism in the film industry. He was young enough to begin the new career of fatherhood when he stopped making movies at age 62.

Alfred Hitchcock wanted to cast him opposite Grace Kelly in Marnie (1964), but the people of Monaco were not happy with the idea of their Princess playing a compulsive thief.