Farley Granger (July 1, 1925 – March 27, 2011) was an American film, theatre and television actor whose career spanned the studio era, postwar cinema and Broadway. He first attracted wide attention in the late 1940s and is best remembered for leading roles in two Alfred Hitchcock thrillers, Rope and Strangers on a Train, performances that helped establish his screen presence and earned him lasting recognition among film audiences.
Early life and career beginnings
Granger came to prominence during the years when the Hollywood studio system dominated American filmmaking. He worked with established producers and appeared in a variety of studio pictures before moving freely between film, theatre and television. His experiences in the studio system, and later onstage, are recounted in his memoir and in contemporary profiles of his career; see a brief career profile for an overview of his credits.
Film work and collaborations
Two films remain central to Granger's public reputation. In Rope (1948) he played one of two young men at the centre of an audacious murder plot staged as an extended, continuous-shot drama. In Strangers on a Train (1951) he was cast opposite a more charismatic antagonist in a tense psychological thriller. Beyond these, Granger appeared in other features throughout the 1940s and 1950s, often cast in roles that showcased a youthful, introspective presence.
Theatre, television and later work
Granger maintained a substantial stage career, appearing on Broadway and in regional theatre productions. He returned repeatedly to the stage when film parts were less frequent, and he also worked extensively in television across several decades, appearing in dramas and anthology series. His ability to move between mediums kept him professionally active well beyond his early screen successes and allowed him to take on varied dramatic parts.
Personal life and writing
Granger spoke openly about his sexuality later in life and described relationships with both women and men. Among those he was associated with socially or romantically were actresses Shelley Winters and Ava Gardner, conductor and composer Leonard Bernstein, and writer Arthur Laurents. His longtime partner was television producer Robert Calhoun. Granger detailed his experiences in the memoir Include Me Out: My Life From Goldwyn to Broadway, which covers his years in the studio system and onstage and is a primary source for his recollections.
Death and legacy
Granger died of natural causes in 2011. His performances, particularly in the Hitchcock films, continue to be discussed in histories of postwar American cinema and in studies of actors who bridged studio-era film and live theatre. He is remembered for his versatility, for candid reflections on his life and career, and for work that remains of interest to film scholars and theatre historians.
Further reading and resources: career summary, Rope, Strangers on a Train, Shelley Winters connection, Ava Gardner connection, Bernstein connection, his memoir.