Cary Grant's early years in Bristol to be explored in new ITV drama 'Archie'

A new drama commissioned by ITV will explore the early years of Bristol's very own Archibald Leach - before he made his mark in Hollywood under the name of Cary Grant.

Titled Archie, the four-part series will follow the actor born Archibald Leach in Horfield in 1904 as he embraces America and transforms into one of film's most recognisable leading men.

Jason Isaacs, known for playing Lucius Malfoy in the Harry Potter franchise, will take on the titular role in the series being adapted for television by screenwriter Jeff Pope, whose credits include Stan & Ollie and Philomena.

Paul Andrew Williams is set to direct Archie, having previously worked with Jeff Pope on A Confession, a drama series based on convictied Gloucestershire murderer Christopher Halliwell.

In his early years, Archibald Leach faced extreme poverty, his father's adultery and the loss of his older brother, John, as a child.

After joining a music hall act, the Bob Pender Troupe, as a stilt walker, he toured America where he decided to pursue a life in showbusiness.

A chance meeting with the comedian George Burns helped him find his footing on the acting ladder and his first contract with a film studio which urged him to adopt a stage name.

The series will cut to scenes in 1961 when, at the height of his fame and living in Benedict Canyon, Los Angeles, Grant was breaking box office records but was deeply unhappy in his private life.

The drama will be produced by ITV Studios, with BritBox International as co-production partners, and with the blessing of Cary Grant’s daughter, Jennifer Grant, and ex-wife Dyan Cannon.

Amongst the sources used to bring Archie to life, Jeff Pope interviewed both women - who also both serve as Executive Producers on the series - extensively to better understand that man behind the Cary Grant mask.

Though she was initially hesitant to share the details of her 'private' father's life, Jennifer Grant says: "My father was an extremely private man, so naturally, when Jeff Pope approached me with the idea to write Dad’s life story, I was trepidatious at best.

"Jeff’s thoughtfully intelligent understanding of Dad’s boyhood won me over. My father’s formative years as Archie Leach in Bristol, England, and the extraordinary challenges he faced, lie at the heart of ‘Archie’.

"Cary Grant is emblematic of charm, wit and grace, but unknown to most are the enormous challenges he overcame to create himself.”

Grant's ex-wife Dyan Cannon says: "Cary Grant touched the world with his charm, his grace and enduring vivacity, but few knew Archie Leach, the man I was fortunate to know intimately and marry.

"I’m so grateful Jeff Pope has captured him so brilliantly on the page, and that Jason Isaacs will do the same on screen!”

On taking on the role, Isaacs said: "There was only one Cary Grant and I'd never be foolish enough to try to step into his iconic shoes.

"Archie Leach, on the other hand, couldn't be further from the character he invented to save himself.

"Jeff's brilliant scripts bring to life his relentless struggle to escape the demons that plagued him, his obsessive need for control, his fears, his weaknesses, his loves and his losses.

"It's the story of a man, not a legend, and those are shoes I can’t wait to walk in."

On the widely unknown humble beginnings of Cary Grant, Jeff Pope says: "As with many of my projects, I started at the end and worked backwards.

"I discovered that, at the height of his fame, Cary Grant retired to look after his young daughter. Intrigued, I started to dig into why he had become a single father. What had happened?

"My journey led me to Bristol, and a young boy called Archie Leach.

"Cary Grant became one of the most iconic figures of the twentieth century, beloved by presidents and paupers. The key to everything, lay in his childhood.”