Cary Grant, one of Hollywood’s golden agers, is about to be introduced to a new generation 37 years after his death, with an ITVX series ‘Archie’ about his life. A handsome, suave, debonair, light-hearted actor with a sense of comic timing, he was everyone’s idea of a polished gentleman. But his beginnings in extreme poverty in England, with an institutionalized mother he thought was dead and a father who abandoned him, throw his later life into stark relief. He once said: “I have something to confess. You see, I’ve always been someone else. I made up Cary Grant as I went along.”
After joining a vaudeville troupe in his teens which toured in the USA, he relocated permanently, made many acclaimed films, worked with Hitchcock, married five times, including to heiress Barbara Hutton, and when he finally belatedly had a child in his early sixties with actress Dyan Cannon, he retired from acting to focus on bringing up his daughter, giving her the childhood he never had – and exploiting his shrewd business abilities with Faberge and MGM Grand Hotels.
He frequently called his daughter Jennifer his “best production”. He said of fatherhood: “My life changed the day Jennifer was born. I don’t think my films will last very long once I’m gone. But another human being. That’s what’s important.”
He was born 18 January 1904 1.07am (from biography?) Bristol, England, And had a Capricorn Sun conjunct Mercury and Chiron as well as a zero degree Aquarius Moon – with his Moon widely conjunct Saturn in the 4th. That is quite a collection of an ambitious Capricorn Sun entangled with emotional wounds from childhood with Chiron’s sense of being an outsider, an enduring sense of isolation and low-self-esteem, both damaged and chosen.
He also had a strong ‘influencer’ Pluto in the 8th tied into a Mutable T Square in opposition to Venus and Uranus square Jupiter in his performing 5th house which also rules children. His 4th house Mars trine his Pluto, gave him unshakeable determination.
His daughter Jennifer, 26 February 1966 7.41 pm Burbank, CA, has her Pisces Sun falling in her father’s 5th house and her Chiron is closely conjunct his 5th house Jupiter – so through her he could live out a fulfilled childhood at last. Her Jupiter is conjunct his Pluto, so each would boost the other’s morale. It wouldn’t always be the easiest mix since she was of the Uranus Pluto opposition Saturn generation with Mars Mercury thrown into a complicated mix and that clashed with his Uranus opposition Pluto. And his determined Mars in Aquarius squared her Taurus Moon opposition Neptune for a few clashes. But it was a tied-together bond with their relationship chart having a composition Jupiter opposition Uranus square Pluto North Node; with a sugary-sweet Venus trine Jupiter sextile Mars to cover over the rougher edges.
Earlier in his Hollywood days Grant lived in a beach house with Randolph Scott, 23 January 1898, for 12 years which led to rumours of a homosexual liaison though his daughter thought not. They would certainly be friendly with Scott’s Venus in Capricorn and early Aquarius Sun sitting comfortably with Grant’s Capricorn Sun and Aquarius Moon. But the relationship chart looks turbulent and competitive.
His relationship with the much-married Woolworth heiress Barbara Hutton, though short-lived as a marriage, continued for years after as a friendship. Born 14 November 1912 2.25 pm New York, she had a tricky chart with an 8th house Sun Mars in Scorpio and Pluto on her IC – not custom built for cooperation for sure. Her Uranus was conjunct his Moon Sun so not destined to be stable. But their relationship chart had an affectionate and close composite Sun Venus opposition Pluto – so there was a lasting connection.
His chart relocated to Los Angeles does move his Sun Moon onto the Descendant but it isn’t as successful as I might have expected – not in the way that Sean Connery’s relocated chart from Edinburgh to LA is, putting his Pluto Jupiter on his midheaven. Grant’s chart relocated to New York does have influential Pluto in his 10th and his New Moon in his performing 5th house which might have seemed a more bountiful location for him. But that is assuming his birth time is accurate.
Chrion/Sun conjunctions can work through wounding to become great contributors to the societee, such as with Greta Thunberg or news reporter Rachel Maddow in the US. It does not represent anything false, but often, destined for greatness through self-healing through contribution.
Cary Grant is one of my favorite actors from the Golden Age of Hollywood Era. I really enjoyed his performance in Arsenic and Old Lace as well as his performance with Doris Day in A Touch of Mink.
There are still so many films starring Cary Grant I have yet to see.
I remember him in Suspicion with Joan Fontaine. He was a charming baddie for a change.
It was nice to see his chart. I am a Capricorn Sun with Venus in Sag in 2nd house, Sat in Aqua in 4th, Jupiter in Pisces in 5th and the exact same Libra Asc.
I used to love the old Hollywood films growing up, and Cary Grant always was my pre-1950’s and Actor’s Studio favourite male star. Such effortless acting in comedies, but also more dramatic roles. Later, I discovered he was born little less than a month before my grandfather, who interestingly was a Capricorn Moon to Grant’s Capricorn Sun. I would think outer planet alignment also was similar. What they had in common was rough childhood, even for the era, and late fatherhood they absolutely loved. Which makes me think about possibility of Grant’s TOB being just that little off, making him also a Capricorn Moon. Capricorn Moon parenting tends to be something extra, while Aquarius Moons, while no way bad parents, tend to enjoy it when children are old enough to be verbal and encaged, and would not consider it as character building, much less changing. In fact, having just watched “Arnold”, on another Hollywood parent with Capricorn, it comes through clearly there too.
I did not understand your remarks about the two Moons. What do you mean by “to be something extra” and what would Aquarius Moons not consider character building and character changing? What comes clearly in Arnold?
I’m doubtful he’s a Cap moon because he’s born at 1:07am with it placed 47minutes into Aqua. The moon moves roughly 1 degree every 2 hours – so to be in Cap he’d have needed to have been born at around 11:30pm the day before. That much inaccuracy seems unlikely – especially given the change of day. It’s possible but I’d doubt it.
However he does have Saturn widely conjunct the moon, so that would act incline the Aqua moon to be more Cap-like.
Thanks Marjorie, I hadn’t noticed this series about Cary Grant’s life, interesting. One of the many talented migrants who created Hollywood’s golden age, and the enduring fantasies and cultural icons of so many people all around the world. It’s fascinating to think how many of them came from poor or challenging backgrounds – Charlie Chaplin for instance – alcoholic father, mother in and out of institutions, spent part of his childhood in children’s homes….a very dark and damaged person, with enormous drive and charisma.
I wondered if you would look at the connections between another gifted migrant, Alfred Hitchcock (13 August 1899) and Cary Grant? Hitchcock said “Cary is the only actor I ever loved in my whole life”. He famously hated actors, and tormented and bullied them. They made four films together – Suspicion, Notorious, To Catch a Thief, and North by North West, with it’s extraordinary crop-spraying plane scene.
“Pluto in the 8th tied into a Mutable T Square in opposition to Venus and Uranus square Jupiter in his performing 5th house which also rules children. His 4th house Mars trine his Pluto, gave him unshakeable determination.”
Hitchcock had Pluto in Gemini like Grant. Also Neptune in Gemini opposing Grant’s Uranus in Sagittarius, conjunct Hitchcock’s Moon’s Nodes at 26 Sagittarius/Gemini. Saturn was 17 Sagittarius.
I absolutely loved Cary Grant. But my favourite film was one I can’t remember the title. But it centred around the Tokyo Olympics and had Jim Hutton and Samantha Eggar with Cary Grant all holed up together in this apartment. With Cary playing a character completely different from his usual forte. Wonderful stuff!
Linda, the film you’re thinking of is Walk Don’t Run. It’s a fun watch.
One of his best and underrated films is Talk of the Town with Jean Arthur and Ronald Coleman. Another of his great, unconventional performances is in the film In Name Only with Carole Lombard and Kay Francis.
I’m curious about the astrology for his ex-wife Betsy Drake, she seemed like a soulmate and shared common interests together. She was adorable in Every Girl Should Be Married.
It is amazing how transiting Pluto through Aquarius is bringing up the past of famous Icons. As it first transited his Moon this Spring, and is set to move back and forwards again next year – especially his beginnings ( third house childhood). His Chiron/Moon midpoint is on his Sun which is also conjunct his Sun his Moon and Mercury. With a Capricorn Chiron and Sun in conjunct with a Moon/Saturn conjunction in Aquarius; women may have been seen as untrustworthy, people who can hurt and leave you. As there is a lot going on in his third house of learning and childhood. Chiron may have kept reminding him not to get too close. Perhaps his Mother, eventually being settled in a home where is could easily get to see her and apparently he did visits to Bristol often, to see her personally: may have finally realised him to have a child. I don’t think he was gay, I think he was frightened child inside afraid to get involved.
Oh, I’d love to see Huguette’s chart! Though ww can probably guess a very full 12H and/or heavy Neptune contacts. From what I read, she was very agoraphobic, lived her last years in a hospital by choice, had an exquisite oceanfront home, and loved collecting handcrafted dolls.
That really was a piece of story. It still is. The apartment she had in Manhattan was something else, and the Santa Barbara mansion as well as its grounds.
I vaguely recall the Santa Barbara house was going to be turned into a museum. I wonder if that came to fruition. Hers is certainly a fascinating story. The money that gave her freedom also psychologically imprisoned her.
No birth time sadly. She was a lucky Sun Jupiter in Gemini but it squared an up-and-down Saturn in Pisces – and she had a deeply suppressed and trapped Mars Pluto conjunction – and a highly strung Uranus opposition Neptune. Capricorn Moon.
Thanks, Marjorie. Curious what her SA and secondary progressions would say about those suppressed planets. 🙂
Thank you for writing about this, especially Barbara Hutton. She reminded me of Huguette Clark, and I’m know going to see if you covered that fascinating story.