He was born in Goshen, Indiana in 1876 and began working as a clerk in a publishing firm.

He began acting on stage in Chicago in 1897 in Damon and Pythias.

In 1905, Carew moved to England, where he continued his stage career starting with the Lyric Theatre, London,[2] later working in two plays with Shakespearean actress Ellen Terry, one of the best-known and noted British actresses of the day.

In fact he is listed as living with Ellen at Smallhythe in the 1911 Census.

Carew made his screen debut by 1917, when he appeared in the film Profit and the Loss.