 Born in London, he took his first role on the musical stage at the age of 18 in "Haste to the Wedding" (1892), a West End collaboration between his famous songwriter and actor father and W. S. Gilbert.Grossmith soon became an audience favourite playing "dude" roles.Early appearances in musicals included George Edwardes's hit "A Gaiety Girl" in 1893, and "Go-Bang" and "The Shop Girl" in 1894.