Vivien Leigh

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.

Known For	Acting
Most Rating	1.9084
Birthday	1913-11-05
Place of Birth	Darjeeling, Bengal Presidency, British India [now West Bengal, India]
Also Known As	Вів'єн Мері Гартлі, Vivian Mary Hartley, Vivian Leigh, ویوین لی, Вивиан Мэри Хартли, леди Оливье,

A Streetcar Named Desire

Gone with the Wind

Sir John Mills' Moving Memories

Ship of Fools

Fire Over England

Caesar and Cleopatra

Anna Karenina

The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone

That Hamilton Woman

Waterloo Bridge

21 Days

Dark Journey

Storm in a Teacup

Hollywood: The Dream Factory

St. Martin's Lane

A Yank at Oxford

Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood

The Village Squire

Things Are Looking Up

The Deep Blue Sea

Look Up and Laugh

Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage

Larry & Vivien: The Oliviers in Love

The Screen Director

That's Entertainment! III

Melanie Remembers: Reflections by Olivia de Havilland

Gentlemen's Agreement

Cavalcade of the Academy Awards

Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?

Hollywood: Style Center of the World

That's Entertainment, Part II

Glorious Technicolor

The Making of a Legend: Gone with the Wind

Jornal Português (1938-1951)

1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year

The Skin of Our Teeth

Vivien Leigh: Scarlett and Beyond

Vivien Leigh, autant en emporte le vent

The Extraordinary Seaman

Laurence Olivier: A Life

Small World: Vivien Leigh

Private Lives

Rebecca

Ivanov

Hollywood Scandals and Tragedies

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

Marilyn Monroe

The Prince, The Showgirl and Me

Antony and Cleopatra

Tovarich

The Good, The Bad, and the Beautiful

Stardust: The Bette Davis Story

Beyond Tara: The Extraordinary Life of Hattie McDaniel

Legends in Light: The Photography of George Hurrell

Leslie Howard: The Man Who Gave a Damn

The First 100 Years: A Celebration of American Movies

Vivien Leigh: A Delicate Balance

A Streetcar on Broadway

A Streetcar in Hollywood

Desire and Censorship

Charmed Lives: A Family Romance

The Vivien Leigh Archive at the V&A

Gone with the Wind – Makeup and Wardrobe Tests

The Greats: Vivien Leigh

British Pathé Newsreels: Gone with the Wind

British Pathé: Vivien Leigh & Laurence Olivier

An Actor Named Brando

Hitchcock, Selznick and the End of Hollywood

The Selznick Studios Retrospective Backlot Tour

That's Dancing!

Hollywood: The Selznick Years

Black Star

All-Time Movie Greats

Restoring a Legend: Gone with the Wind

Churchill and the Movie Mogul

Elia Kazan: A Director's Journey

North and the Music of the South

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