1913-11-05 ( 111 years old ) in Darjeeling, Bengal Presidency, British India [now West Bengal, India]
Vivien Leigh (born Vivian Mary Hartley on November 5, 1913, in Darjeeling, British India) 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.
Movies
Vivien Leigh, autant en emporte le vent
2020-01-03
Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood
2018-07-27
1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year
2009-07-02
Jornal Português (1938-1951)
2005-12-12
Larry & Vivien: The Oliviers in Love
2001-09-13
Sir John Mills' Moving Memories
2000-08-01
Glorious Technicolor
1998-12-07
The Good, The Bad, and the Beautiful
1996-03-17
That's Entertainment! III
1994-07-01
Vivien Leigh: Scarlett and Beyond
1990-10-22
The Making of a Legend: Gone with the Wind
1988-10-01
Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage
1983-02-25
That's Entertainment, Part II
1976-05-16
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
1975-08-06
Hollywood: The Dream Factory
1972-01-10
The Extraordinary Seaman
1969-05-14
Ship of Fools
1965-07-29
Hollywood: The Selznick Years
1961-12-31
The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone
1961-12-28
The Skin of Our Teeth
1959-01-01
The Deep Blue Sea
1955-11-01
A Streetcar Named Desire
1951-09-19
The Screen Director
1951-03-12
Anna Karenina
1948-01-22
Caesar and Cleopatra
1945-12-11
That Hamilton Woman
1941-04-03
Cavalcade of the Academy Awards
1940-07-31
Hollywood: Style Center of the World
1940-05-29
Waterloo Bridge
1940-05-17
21 Days Together
1940-01-07
Gone with the Wind
1939-12-15
St. Martin's Lane
1938-10-18
A Yank at Oxford
1938-02-18
Dark Journey
1937-07-02
Fire Over England
1937-03-05
Storm in a Teacup
1937-02-25
Look Up and Laugh
1935-08-13
Things Are Looking Up
1935-06-09
The Village Squire
1935-04-14
Gentlemen's Agreement
1935-01-01
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