Stewart Granger

British actor Stewart Granger, born James Stewart, studied acting at the Webber-Douglas School of Dramatic Art and began getting work as an extra in British films in 1933. In the late '30s he adopted his professional name to avoid confusion with recent star James Stewart. He worked with various stage companies before getting his first lead role onscreen in So This Is London (1939). In the '40s Granger was one of British films' two top romantic leading men (along with James Mason) and a steady box-office draw, attracting the interest of Hollywood. He signed with MGM in 1950, and for the next seven years played a variety of virile "he-man" types such as romantic swashbucklers and white hunters. After becoming a U.S. citizen in 1956, Granger began free-lancing, appearing again in British films as well as in international productions in the following decade. He began accepting starring roles on TV in the early '70s. From 1950-60 Stewart Granger was married to actress Jean Simmons, the second of his three wives.

~ All Movie Guide