Cary Grant performed for most of his life, getting his start in vaudeville before venturing to Hollywood. He honed a persona he maintained even when the cameras weren’t rolling. In fact, there’s one part of the “Archie” trailer where Grant says, “Cary Grant is a character. Have to be very careful about how he’s perceived.” With that in mind, Jason Isaacs effectively had to play someone who was always playing someone, which is a daunting undertaking. But one tape made everything click for him.
The Harry Potter star told Virgin Radio UK, “I found a tape that was never meant to be made because he didn’t give recorded interviews, he didn’t like it. He gave a recorded interview in the last year of his life.” It was a game changer for Isaacs because he finally had something that made it clear there was a real person underneath the Cary Grant persona. Basing a real person on various characters could lead to a performance that reads more like a caricature.
All four episodes of “Archie” debuted on ITVX in the United Kingdom on November 23. Viewers in the United States can stream the miniseries on BritBox to see yet another fantastic performance from Jason Isaacs.
