Cary Grant Started Out as a Teenage Stilt-Walker Named Archie
Hollywood's most polished leading man learned his timing as an acrobat in a traveling troupe.
Cary Grant was born Archibald Alexander Leach in Bristol, England, in 1904. His childhood was difficult, and he left school young.
Running away with the troupe
At 14, he joined the Bob Pender Troupe, a group of acrobats and comic performers. He learned stilt-walking, tumbling and pantomime, skills that later gave his comedy its graceful physical timing.
Coney Island
In 1920 the troupe toured the United States, and Archie decided to stay. He worked odd jobs, including walking on stilts to advertise at Coney Island, while performing on the vaudeville stage.
A new name
When Paramount signed him in 1931, the studio asked him to change his name. He became Cary Grant and went on to star in classics like The Philadelphia Story, North by Northwest and His Girl Friday.
He never won a competitive Oscar, but in 1970 the Academy gave him an honorary award, presented by his friend Frank Sinatra.
This story is based on the stars' own interviews and memoirs and on widely reported history. Spotted an error? Tell us and we will correct it.
