The first time Ingrid saw Cary Grant was at a party at David O. Selznick’s house shortly after her arrival in Hollywood around 1938 when she was the guest of honor.
But they didn’t get to properly meet each other until they were shooting “Notorious” in 1945. This movie was the beginning of a continuing friendship. Cary instantly admired Ingrid and said shortly after they had got to know each other:“I think the Academy ought to set aside a special award for Bergman every year whether she makes a picture or not!” Their beautiful friendship wasn’t harmed when Ingrid’s screen image of the wholesome, virtuous woman had been shattered in 1949, when she (pregnant by Rossellini) left her husband for the Italian director Roberto Rossellini. She was attacked by religious groups and by US senators and was blacklisted by American studios. Throughout this denunciation, Cary stood by her side as her friend, defending her.
In 1957 she was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actress in “Anastasia”. She was in London at the time playing in “Tea and Sympathy” and asked Cary to accept the award for her if she won. When the academy gave her the Oscar that night, he held a heartfelt acceptance speech [x], The same year they made another movie together: Indiscreet. Before filming began, she and Rossellini had separated, a press conference with Cary and Ingrid was being held and naturally the reporters were waiting for her. “I was taken into the transit lounge for the press conference, and there was Cary Grant sitting up on the table He shouted across the heads of the journalists ‘Ingrid, wait till you hear my problems!’” Through the whole time during that conference he held the reporters at bay “Come on fellas! You can’t ask a lady that! Ask me the same question and I´ll give you an answer. So you´re not interested in my life? It’s twice as colorful as Ingrid’s.”
They never lost touch, always kept in contact and would write to each other frequently when they didn´t see each other.