Vivien Leigh (born November 5, 1913, Darjeeling, India—died July 8, 1967, London, England) was an English actress renowned for her roles in Hollywood and British theater. She won two Academy Awards for Best Actress, portraying Scarlett O’Hara in Gone with the Wind (1939) and Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire (1951), both performances that solidified her place among the greatest actresses of classic cinema.
Vivien Leigh (born November 5, 1913, Darjeeling, India—died July 8, 1967, London, England) was an English actress renowned for her roles in Hollywood and British theater. She won two Academy Awards for Best Actress, portraying Scarlett O’Hara in Gone with the Wind (1939) and Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire (1951), both performances that solidified her place among the greatest actresses of classic cinema.
Leigh was the only child of Ernest Hartley, a British broker, and Gertrude Yackjee, who had Anglo-Indian and Armenian ancestry. She spent her childhood between England and Europe, attending convent schools before enrolling at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London in 1932, setting the stage for her acting career.
Her film debut came in Things Are Looking Up (1934), followed by roles in British films such as Fire Over England (1937), where she starred alongside Laurence Olivier. Their professional collaboration soon became a high-profile romance, capturing public fascination.
Leigh’s breakthrough role was Scarlett O’Hara in Gone with the Wind (1939), a part for which she beat hundreds of actresses in a legendary casting search. The film became one of the most celebrated in cinematic history, and her performance earned international acclaim, securing her first Academy Award.
Leigh continued to star in films such as Waterloo Bridge (1940) and That Hamilton Woman (1941), frequently working with Olivier, whom she married in 1940. Their union lasted 20 years, during which they became one of the most revered couples in theater and film, starring together in Shakespearean productions and three films.
In 1951, she won her second Academy Award for A Streetcar Named Desire, where her portrayal of Blanche DuBois was deeply personal, reflecting her own struggles with mental health.
Leigh suffered from bipolar disorder, which profoundly affected her career and personal relationships. She also battled chronic tuberculosis, first diagnosed in the mid-1940s, which ultimately led to her death on July 8, 1967, at the age of 53.
After divorcing Olivier in 1960, she found companionship with actor John Merivale, who remained by her side until her passing.
Despite periods of career instability, Leigh remains one of the most celebrated actresses of her time. In 1999, the American Film Institute (AFI) ranked her as the 16th greatest female movie star of classic Hollywood cinema. She also won a Tony Award for Tovarich (1963), proving her talent extended beyond film.
Her beauty, talent, and dedication made her an enduring icon, and her performances continue to be studied and celebrated worldwide.
External links
IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/nm0000046
Wikipedia: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q129429
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Filmography (Movies)
Flashing Images of Vivien Leigh and Marlon Brando
Character:Blanche Du Bois/Self
Release Date:10/04/2023
Vivien Leigh, autant en emporte le vent
Character:Self (archive footage)
Release Date:03/01/2021
Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood
Character:Self (archive footage)
Release Date:27/07/2018
1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year
Character:Self (archive footage)
Release Date:02/07/2009
Jornal Português (1938-1951)
Character:Self (archive footage)
Release Date:12/12/2005
Melanie Remembers: Reflections by Olivia de Havilland
Character:Herself (archive footage)
Release Date:09/11/2004
Larry & Vivien: The Oliviers in Love
Character:Self (archive footage)
Release Date:13/09/2001
Sir John Mills' Moving Memories
Character:Self (archive footage)
Release Date:01/08/2000
Glorious Technicolor
Character:Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Release Date:07/12/1998
That's Entertainment! III
Character:(archive footage)
Release Date:01/07/1994
Korda: I Don't Grow on Trees: Part One
Character:Self
Release Date:05/10/1993
Vivien Leigh: Scarlett and Beyond
Character:Self (archive footage)
Release Date:22/10/1990
The Making of a Legend: Gone with the Wind
Character:Self (archive footage)
Release Date:01/10/1988
Hollywood Scandals and Tragedies
Character:
Release Date:19/09/1988
That's Dancing!
Character:Self (archive footage)
Release Date:18/01/1985
Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage
Character:Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Release Date:25/02/1983
Laurence Olivier: a life
Character:Self ( Archive footage )
Release Date:24/10/1982
That's Entertainment, Part II
Character:(archive footage)
Release Date:16/05/1976
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
Character:Self (archive footage)
Release Date:06/08/1975
Hollywood: The Dream Factory
Character:Self (archive footage)
Release Date:10/01/1972
The Extraordinary Seaman
Character:Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Release Date:14/05/1969
Ivanov
Character:Anna Petrovna
Release Date:03/05/1966
Ship of Fools
Character:Mary Treadwell
Release Date:29/07/1965
The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone
Character:Karen Stone
Release Date:28/12/1961
The Skin of Our Teeth
Character:Sabina
Release Date:01/01/1959
Small world: Vivien Leigh
Character:Self- film actress
Release Date:28/12/1958
The Deep Blue Sea
Character:Hester Collyer
Release Date:01/11/1955
A Streetcar Named Desire
Character:Blanche DuBois
Release Date:18/09/1951
The Screen Director
Character:Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Release Date:12/03/1951
Rebecca
Character:Mrs. de winter
Release Date:06/11/1950
Anna Karenina
Character:Anna Karenina
Release Date:22/01/1948
Caesar and Cleopatra
Character:Cleopatra
Release Date:11/12/1945
That Hamilton Woman
Character:Emma, Lady Hamilton
Release Date:03/04/1941
Private lives
Character:Amanda Prynne
Release Date:13/10/1940
Cavalcade of the Academy Awards
Character:Self
Release Date:31/07/1940
Hollywood: Style Center of the World
Character:Self
Release Date:29/05/1940
Waterloo Bridge
Character:Myra
Release Date:17/05/1940
21 Days Together
Character:Wanda
Release Date:07/01/1940
Gone with the Wind
Character:Scarlett O'Hara
Release Date:15/12/1939
St. Martin's Lane
Character:Liberty
Release Date:18/10/1938
A Yank at Oxford
Character:Elsa Craddock
Release Date:18/02/1938
Dark Journey
Character:Madeleine Goddard
Release Date:02/07/1937
Fire Over England
Character:Cynthia
Release Date:05/03/1937
Storm in a Teacup
Character:Victoria Gow
Release Date:25/02/1937
Look Up and Laugh
Character:Marjorie Belfer
Release Date:13/08/1935
Things Are Looking Up
Character:Schoolgirl
Release Date:09/06/1935
The Village Squire
Character:Rose Venables
Release Date:14/04/1935
Gentlemen's Agreement
Character:Phil Stanley
Release Date:01/01/1935
Television Appearances
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