Ivan Simon Cary Elwes (born October 26, 1962) is an English actor credited as Cary Elwes, known for his performances in Another Country, The Princess Bride, Robin Hood: Men in Tights, Glory, Liar, Liar and Saw.

Cary Elwes is the third son born to interior designer Tessa Kennedy and the late portrait painter Dominick Elwes, and is the brother of producer/agent Cassian Elwes and artist Damian Elwes. He was born and raised in London and attended Harrow. After graduating from Harrow, he moved to the US and studied acting at Sarah Lawrence College. He left school after several years to begin his film career. Cary is well respected by colleagues and fans alike and considered by many to be one of the finest young actors working today. He is interested in history and says, "It's deliberate that a lot of my films have been period pieces". He is politically active for causes he believes in, such as protecting the environment and helping Native American peoples. He is married to Lisa Marie Kurbikoff, a stills photographer.

Comes from a long-established recusant English family on his father's side. Several prominent Catholic clerics are among his relatives, including Fr. Luke Cary-Elwes, Dom Columba Cary-Elwes, and Dom Cuthbert Cary-Elwes. His paternal great-grandfather was Chamberlain to the Pope. Cary (the surname "Cary-Elwes" was shortened to "Elwes" in some branches of the family) was an altar boy at London's Brompton Oratory, although he did not attend a Catholic high school. His mother, Tessa Kennedy (now Kastner), is of Anglo-Irish and Serbo-Croatian extraction, on her paternal and maternal sides, respectively.