Vivien Leigh

Acting · 2.1 popularity

Age

112

Movies

Born: November 5, 1913 – July 7, 1967
From: Darjeeling, Bengal Presidency, British India [now West Bengal, India]

Biography

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.

Works

75 films

Gone with the Wind

19397.9

A Streetcar Named Desire

19517.6

Waterloo Bridge

19407.5

That Hamilton Woman

19417.1

That's Entertainment! III

19947.0

Caesar and Cleopatra

19456.2

Ship of Fools

19656.6

Glorious Technicolor

19986.9

21 Days

19406.1

Anna Karenina

19486.0

That's Entertainment, Part II

19767.0

Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood

20185.9

That's Dancing!

19856.9

The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone

19616.9

Vivien Leigh: Scarlett and Beyond

19908.5

Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?

19756.3

The Making of a Legend: Gone with the Wind

19888.2

The Good, The Bad, and the Beautiful

199610.0

Fire Over England

19376.2

Churchill and the Movie Mogul

20197.3

Beyond Tara: The Extraordinary Life of Hattie McDaniel

2001

Stardust: The Bette Davis Story

20066.6

Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage

19837.0

Larry & Vivien: The Oliviers in Love

20018.0

Cavalcade of the Academy Awards

19406.3

Rebecca

1950

The First 100 Years: A Celebration of American Movies

19958.0

The Prince, The Showgirl and Me

2004

The Extraordinary Seaman

19693.4

Hollywood: The Dream Factory

19727.3

Laurence Olivier: A Life

198210.0

1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year

20097.5

Hollywood: Style Center of the World

19405.8

Hollywood Scandals and Tragedies

1988

Sir John Mills' Moving Memories

20007.0

Desire and Censorship

20063.0

A Yank at Oxford

19386.7

The Deep Blue Sea

19554.9

Ivanov

1966

Dark Journey

19376.4

Charmed Lives: A Family Romance

2028

Antony and Cleopatra

1962

Hollywood: The Selznick Years

19614.4

The Skin of Our Teeth

1959

St. Martin's Lane

19387.3

Elia Kazan: A Director's Journey

19956.1

Storm in a Teacup

19377.4

Legends in Light: The Photography of George Hurrell

19952.0

Things Are Looking Up

19356.5

The Screen Director

19517.0

Gone with the Wind – Makeup and Wardrobe Tests

2020

Leslie Howard: The Man Who Gave a Damn

20159.0

Vivien Leigh, autant en emporte le vent

20217.4

All-Time Movie Greats

1988

A Streetcar on Broadway

20066.5

Vivien Leigh: A Delicate Balance

20009.0

Melanie Remembers: Reflections by Olivia de Havilland

20047.2

British Pathé Newsreels: Gone with the Wind

1939

Private Lives

1940

Black Star

20225.0

An Actor Named Brando

2006

Marilyn Monroe

198610.0

A Streetcar in Hollywood

20066.5

Look Up and Laugh

19355.3

The Village Squire

19358.0

Korda: I Don't Grow on Trees: Part One

1993

Jornal Português (1938-1951)

2015

Small World: Vivien Leigh

1958

North and the Music of the South

2006

Gentlemen's Agreement

19357.5

The Vivien Leigh Archive at the V&A

20169.0

Tovarich

1963

The Greats: Vivien Leigh

20167.0

Restoring a Legend: Gone with the Wind

20048.8

Before She Was Scarlet O'Hara: An Interview with Anne Edwards

2013