Cary Grant was known as one of America’s greatest acting legends but his personal life wasn’t as glamourous as his life in Hollywood as he struggled with mental health issues.
Cary Grant was born in Bristle, England, and was named Archie Leach. Grant was raised by his father, who was reported to have a drinking problem, and claims indicate his mother had a mental illness; she was institutionalized when Grant was 11 years old.
His father decided to keep his mother institutionalized, believing she had depression and mania, eventually leading Grant to believe that his mother passed away. Despite having a rough childhood with parents suffering from mental illness, Grant pursued his passion working in entertainment.
By 30, Grant learned his mother was still alive and was institutionalized at the Bristol Asylum. Grant organized his mother’s release from the institution, and he cared for her for the rest of her life according to her obituary.
Becoming the extraordinary Cary Grant
By the time he was 16 years old, he was kicked out of high school and went with a troupe of actors nearby to his neighborhood. Before, he was a light setter at the Bristol Hippodrome, where he watched actors and actresses backstage. He then went to Broadway, and though costume designer Orry Kelly, moved to LA and got his first role in the film “This is the Night.”
His experimentation and failed marriages
Though Grant’s life on-screen looked lavish, his personal life was less than glamourous. Grant attempted to have a family but went through 5 marriages that indicated he was experiencing signs of mental illness. Grant decided to undergo psychedelic treatments to help with his issues of mental illness.
