Trivia

His great grandfather was Italian opera singer Luigi LaBlache, who emigrated to England and became Queen Victoria's singing master.

Has made more than 60 movies and once grumbled that he couldn't stand any of them.

Adopted his professional name in order not to be confused with American actor James Stewart.

Stewart proposed to Jean Simmons after seeing her as Kanchi in Black Narcissus (1947).

Took fencing very seriously for his dashing roles in The Prisoner of Zenda (1952) and Scaramouche (1952). He was so earnest in mastering the skill of fencing that he took lessons from a retired Olympic fencing champion. During his preparation for Scaramouche (1952), his fencing lessons and practice made him wear out a dozen or so pairs of fencing shoes. He adorned the cover of Life Magazine when the film was released and the title was "Stewart Granger: Swashbuckler". Perhaps the only actor superior to him in fencing at that time was Basil Rathbone.

Stewart became an overnight star in England after appearing the movie, The Man in Grey (1943).

Stewart became England's top box office star in the 1940s which attracted Hollywood's attention.

Having smoked sixty cigarettes a day for the previous forty years Granger was mistakenly diagnosed with lung cancer in 1980 and had part of a lung and a rib removed. Following the surgery, Granger was given good news by his surgeon: that he was actually cancer-free, but suffered from tuberculosis.

Became a naturalized US citizen together with Jean Simmons in 1956.

Stewart did his own stunt work

Even though he was quoted as saying he didn't like any of his movies, he does say in his autobiography, "Sparks Fly Upward", that Saraband (1948) was one of the movies he starred in that he did like.

Had a daughter, Samantha, with Caroline Lecerf.

Best friend was Michael Wilding

Had an extramarital affair with Deborah Kerr in the mid-1940s.

Stewart was a friend of Michael Powell's and when he heard Powell wanted a dancer for The Red Shoes (1948) he suggested that he take a look at Moira Shearer.

In Scaramouche (1952), Granger had to wear lifts to appear the same height as his slightly taller co-stars Mel Ferrer, Henry Wilcoxon, Richard Anderson, and John Dehner. It is believed Granger wore lifts in other Hollywood films as well.

Father of Tracy Granger (with Jean Simmons) and Lindsey Granger and Jamie Granger (with Elspeth March).

His niece is antiques expert Bunny Campione who is often on BBC TV's Antiques Roadshow.

Served in The Black Watch and was a 2nd Lieutenant when he was a demobbed.

Had violin lessons from David McCallum's father for his part in 'The Magic Bow'.

Owned about 1,000 acres near Marbella in Spain.

On August 20, 2018, he was honored with a day of his film work during the TCM Summer Under The Stars.

He trained at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Arts in London, England whose alumni include Terence Stamp, Elizabeth Knowelden, Hugh Bonneville, Rupert Friend, Antony Sher, Daniel Hunt, Matthew Goode, Sue Johnston, Minnie Driver and Julian Fellowes.

Both Eleanor Parker ("Scaramouche," 1952) and Grace Kelly ("Green fire," 1954) admitted that Granger's ego made working with him a less-than-pleasant experience. (Parker, in a radio interview in the 1990s; Kelly, at the time, to MGM publicist Rupert Allan.).

He would rather have been a doctor, but his father was able to afford sending him to university to study to be a general practitioner, while Granger had his sights set on being a specialist.

After he was invalided out of British Army's Gordon Highlanders in 1939 due to an ulcer Granger became a film extra for a couple of years at guinea a day to make ends meet.

He was under contract to Gainsborough Studios from 1943 to 1946.

Co-starred with Pier Angeli in two movies: The Light Touch (1951) and Sodom and Gomorrah (1962).