Cary Grant’s daughter Jennifer Grant has addressed speculation about her late father’s sexuality.
The iconic Hollywood star was born in Bristol, England in 1904. He moved to the US in his late teens after taking part in a vaudeville tour in New York. Grant rose to prominence in Hollywood in the 1930s, starring in such classics as His Girl Friday. He later starred in four Alfred Hitchcock movies, including North By Northwest and To Catch A Thief. He died in 1986 at age 82.
There has long been speculation about Grant’s sexuality. He was married five times. Jennifer, his only child, was the result of his marriage to fourth wife, Dyan Cannon. Cary also lived with the actor Randolph Scott for 12 years, on and off, after they met in 1932. Some have speculated the two men were lovers.
Jennifer, 57, is also an actor. She spoke to The Guardian about her dad and thinks his “elegant masculinity” and attention to grooming may have fuelled some of the rumors.
“If you’re around your parents a lot, you see them in ways that almost no one else does. And I never saw a hint of that,” she said, about him being gay or bisexual.
Jennifer’s parents divorced when she was a baby and she was primarily raised by her father.
“I think I would have picked up on it – not that I would’ve cared. But I have to speak the truth of the matter: Dad was charming, and he had great friendships, but he wasn’t flirtatious with men,” she said. “A friend of mine sent me a picture the other day of Gregory Peck, my father and Mervyn LeRoy and they’re good buddies. But I never got that hint.”
“Perhaps earlier in his life he had an affair [with a man]. I’ll never know, but if he did, fantastic. I hope he enjoyed it.”
‘Archie’
Jennifer previously addressed speculation about her dad’s sexuality in her 2011 memoir, Good Stuff: A Reminiscence of My Father, Cary Grant.
She then also dismissed the notion her dad might have been gay. Jennifer told The Guardian she had subsequently faced backlash.
“I received hate mail saying that I was antigay, which couldn’t be further from the truth,” she said.
Jennifer was speaking to The Guardian to promote a new drama series about Cary Grant’s life. She worked closely with the writer to get the story right. Jason Isaacs will play her father.
Archie will show Grant’s rise from a poverty-stricken, working-class British childhood (he was born Archibald Alec Leach), to Hollywood, where he reinvented himself as the quintessential, suave English gentleman.
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Jim
If “Archie” doesn’t address Grant’s homosexuality it’s a waste
DBMC
Children of closeted gay parents aren’t the best sources of information. First, most people don’t think of their parent’s being sexual and these parents will be really good at hiding their sexuality. I’ve known a lot of people whose parents (usually father) turned out to be closeted gay or bisexual and they had no clue.
Brian
Wouldn’t children be the *least* likely to know the truth? Parents and children typically don’t share graphic details of sexuality with each other. In my own life, my friends know far more about what I’ve done than my parents do. This was such a weird interview to have… and I kinda feel bad for the person being asked to comment on their dad’s nude activities… creepy.
mildredspierce
You can see the love between Cary and Randy in those photos. It is there and tangible. Anyone who has ever been in love can see it.
Fahd
So, sounds like she´s saying he wasn´t gay, he was ¨European¨. I think I saw that gag in some magazine or on SNL.
The stories of his early days in the West Village and his cohabitation with Randolph Scott suggest that he was bisexual.
The drama series will be a disservice to history if he´s portrayed as conventionally heterosexual…that would be Clark Gable.
Pietro D
How can anyone go through the dozens and dozens of photos of Cary and Randolph and NOT realize that there was something there. Their respective studios thought there was something going on and pretty well told the domestic couple they could not live together, or else. 12 years (on and off) as a couple obviously means something, but what’s the big deal. If they were going at it like dogs, all the more power to that old relationship. But, it all went down in the 30’s. Why are we even discussing this. 40 + years after Cary’s death. Imagine! Cary will be turning 120 next year. Let the dude just r.i.p.+
Kangol2
I agree about letting him RIP, but so many of his movies are iconic, everyone should watch them. North by Northwest is easily one of his best acting performances and a thrilling movie too!
FreddieW
“Jennifer, his only child, was born to he and his fourth wife, Dyan Cannon.”
Please stop assassinating the 3rd person pronouns.
Kangol2
Now, now, they erred as opposed to assassinating. Grammar and spelling aren’t among Queerty’s strong suits.
ScottOnEarth
Jennifer is full of shit. She sued someone for saying that her dad was gay, so she’s not as open minded as she pretends to be in her tepid responses above. Her dad dedicated that latter part of his life to her and he was also 60+ y.o., so I’m sure he wasn’t picking-up guys or flirting with them in her presence. The fact that he lived with Randolph Scott for so many years and photographs of them together are the picture of domestic bliss, I’d say there’s a good chance he was also into men. It would have destroyed his career and legacy (among middle-american idiots), obviously, so he wasn’t about to live openly. Either way, he was a true movie star and incredibly gorgeous, debonair and elegant.
Joshooeerr
Jennifer Grant can’t possibly be as dim or deluded as she appears. The evidence that daddy was at least bi, if not gay, is fairly incontrovertible. He shared a home and a life with Randolph Scott for 12 years – a significantly longer span than any of his five marriages. Multiple house guests of theirs have attested that they were very much a couple (in private correspondence, since released). The studios were very much aware of the relationship and initially went to elaborate lengths to cover it with publicity about them being playboy bachelors who simply shared digs. At the same time they orchestrated fake romances for Grant as a cover. Eventually they were concerned enough that the truth was too obvious that they ordered Grant to marry, and more or less arranged his marriage to Virginia Cherril. It lasted barely a year. There is good reason to be cynical about Grant’s next two marriages too. The second, to heiress Barbara Hutton, was widely mocked at the time, with the couple known derisively as “Cash and Cary”. The third, to actress Betsy Drake, was technically Grant’s longest marriage – except that they spent most of it apart, and just didn’t get around to divorcing for some years. The fourth marriage to Dyan Cannon – which produced Jennifer – also lasted barely two years. All in all, not a great track record with the ladies. Then there’s designer Orry-Kelly’s recently uncovered memoir, which not only details his romance with Grant (before they were both famous), but more or less implies that Grant was a gigolo in New York, if not an actual rent boy. He certainly depended on “the kindness of strangers” when still a struggling actor. And then there is Scotty Bowers’ stories of providing male hookers to Grant over a period of some decades. Those desperate to see Grant as straight try dismissing Bowers’ story as unreliable (as though being a pimp automatically makes you dishonest) or Orry-Kelly’s account as unverifiable (because everyone is now dead). But you can’t possibly look at all of this evidence together and conclude it’s just rumour.