Cary Grant. Ever seen North by Northwest? No? What’s wrong with you?

I didn’t include him here because he was a good actor, or because he was handsome, had a nice voice, and knew how to pose for a picture.

The fact that Alfred Hitchcock was once quoted as saying that Grant was “the only actor I ever loved in my whole life” is awesome, but still not what I chose to post this.

Little known fact (courtesy of wikipedia): Grant was the first actor to “go independent” by not renewing his studio contract, effectively leaving the studio system, which almost completely controlled what an actor could or could not do. In this way, Grant was able to control every aspect of his career, at the risk of not working because no particular studio had an interest in his career long term. He decided which movies he was going to appear in, he often had personal choice of the directors and his co-stars and at times even negotiated a share of the gross, something uncommon at the time.

Cary Grant wasn’t just a pioneer, but he was a pioneer in the field of ‘My way or the highway’, and that’s what makes him Cool in my book.