Jason Isaacs will shine in the near future Cary Grant biopic Archie as the charming protagonist. News from the ITV miniseries, and the Harry Potter star’s cast as Grant, made news in augustbut additional cast members were unknown until today. Archiewritten by Jeff Pope, will also shine Laura Aikman (Bluestone 42) as Dyan Cannon, Grant’s ex-wife and Harriet Walter (succession) as Elise Leach, Grant’s mother.
The four-part series also includes: Henry Lloyd Hughes (Rag doll), Ian Pulston-Davies (Coronation Street), Ian McNeice (Doctor Martin), Jason Watkins (Des)Lisa Faulkner (EastEnders) and Niamh Cusack (the virtues). Dainton Anderson (Patrick Melrose), Calam Lynch (bridgerton), and Oaklee Pendergast (House) will portray younger versions of Grant. Kara Tointon (The Halcyon)) is cast as a young Elsie.
The Life of the Leading Actor in Hollywood
Born Archibald Alexander Leach, Grant’s career spanned more than three decades. Archie will explore the lives of the Hollywood legends from childhood to the height of his stardom. Grant was born into poverty in Bristol in 1904. When he was just 14, he joined the music hall act of the Bob Pender Troupe, a group of artists that toured the US and UK. In the 1920s, a young Grant moved to New York. After Grant became a household name in vaudeville in the 1920s, Grant moved to Hollywood in the early 1930s. Upon his arrival, he had a career in film, and in 1932, Grant (now through Cary instead of Archie) made his film debut in the comedy This is the Night.
Grant quickly became a successful lead actor, and during his esteemed career, the actor starred in more than 70 films, including classics like His Girl Friday, None but the Lonely Heart, To Catch a Thief, North by Northwest, Charade, Suspicion, Notorious and The Philadelphia Story. His filmography spans a range of genres, including screwball comedies, dramas, and crime films. From the 1940s, Grant appeared in four Hitchcock films.
His personal life seemed less triumphant, and the actor married five times. In 1965 he married his fourth wife Cannon, and the two had a daughter, Jennifer. Grant, who was 62 when his daughter was born, retired from acting a few years later to devote himself to fatherhood. Grant died in 1986 at the age of 82.
Both Cannon and daughter Jennifer serve as executive producers on the project. Archie is produced by Pope’s ITV Studios label Etta Pictures. Britbox International co-produces. Paul Andrew Williams (London to Brighton) will direct while Rebecca Hodgson (Sherwood) produces.
The series will air later this year on ITVX, ITV’s new streaming platform. Shows on the ITV network will follow months later. Production for Archie is underway in the UK.