Jennifer Grant: 'My Dad Was Able to Let Go of Show Business'

Jennifer Grant is the only child of Hollywood icon Cary Grant and actress Dyan Cannon. When Jennifer was born in 1966, her father was 62 years old--and absolutely thrilled to be a parent. "He took such joy in being a dad," Jennifer recalls. Her memoir, Good Stuff, will be published on Tuesday. Here, she speaks to PARADE about the 20 years they shared together and his enduring legacy.

What's your first real memory of your father?
I used to have a crib that was at the end of his room. At night, he'd lean over it and talk me to sleep. I remember his hands reaching in, rubbing me, and I remember seeing his big face - which was big to me at the time, of course. That's really my first memory. I remember how soothing his voice was.

What are your favorite movies of your father's?
The first movie of his I came to know was The Bachelor and the Bobby Soxer. It's not my favorite but when I was a little girl, it was one of the first of his films I could relate to because it had Shirley Temple. Asking me my favorite movie of his is such a difficult question to answer. On any given day, different ones come to mind. The romantic in me loves An Affair to Remember. To Catch a Thief is always fun. I like ArsenicandOld Lace. It's so silly, and he hated it.

See photos of Jennifer with her father, Cary Grant

He did?
He just thought he was way over the top, but that was the style. I love Bringing Up Baby, love Katharine Hepburn. North by Northwest is such a classic. And I love His Girl Friday. There are just so many favorites.

What do you think he would make of Hollywood today?
I'm not sure, because he wasn't really a moviegoer. One of the odd things about him was when I was born, he retired and he gave it up completely. He was able to let go of show business - not only the making of the films but the viewing of films and being a part of Hollywood. He didn't go to the parties, he didn't do any of it. So he wasn't involved with it when he was alive, and I don't think he would be so involved with it now. When people complimented him on his movies, on some level it pleased him. But his response was always, "If you're watching my movies, you're staying up too late at night."

What four or five adjectives would you use to describe him?
Thoughtful. Whimsical. Romantic. Silly. In tune.

What do you mean by "in tune"?
He was a clear channel. He was open at the top, so to speak. He was so much older than I was, but he maintained a flexible mind.

In so many of the photos in the book, he looks incredibly joyful. Do you think he was just a naturally happy person?
I'm sure there was some part of his soul was intrinsically happy, but he probably had to go through some permutations to really get that to blossom. I'm sure Dad had his challenges, but I think that joy was there from the beginning and he had to find a way to make his life support that and express that.

What one last thing would you like people to know about your dad?
His kind, charming demeanor was there, because he wanted to make things as easy as possible for everybody else. He was happy if he made life happy for others. He crafted himself in a way to be able to give the most. It wasn't foolhardy, and it wasn't by accident. And while it may have been natural, it took work and great intention and discipline to be who he was. His life was all about the joy he could mine and the joy he could give.


From the book Good Stuff by Jennifer Grant © 2011 Hothorse Productions, to be published May 3 by Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of the Knopf Doubleday Group, a division of Random House Inc.