Vivien Leigh

Biography

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.

Known For

Blanche DuBois

A Streetcar Named Desire

Scarlett O'Hara

Gone with the Wind

Self (archive footage)

Sir John Mills' Moving Memories

Mary Treadwell

Ship of Fools

Cynthia

Fire Over England

Cleopatra

Caesar and Cleopatra

Anna Karenina

Anna Karenina

Karen Stone

The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone

Emma, Lady Hamilton

That Hamilton Woman

Myra

Waterloo Bridge

Wanda

21 Days Together

Madeleine Goddard

Dark Journey

Victoria Gow

Storm in a Teacup

Self (archive footage)

Hollywood: The Dream Factory

Liberty

St. Martin's Lane

Elsa Craddock

A Yank at Oxford

Self (archive footage)

Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood

Rose Venables

The Village Squire

Schoolgirl

Things Are Looking Up

Marjorie Belfer

Look Up and Laugh

Hester Collyer

The Deep Blue Sea

Self (archive footage) (uncredited)

Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage

Self (archive footage)

Larry & Vivien: The Oliviers in Love

Self (archive footage) (uncredited)

The Screen Director

(archive footage)

That's Entertainment! III

Herself (archive footage)

Melanie Remembers: Reflections by Olivia de Havilland

Phil Stanley

Gentlemen's Agreement

Self

Cavalcade of the Academy Awards

Self (archive footage)

Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?

Self

Hollywood: Style Center of the World

(archive footage)

That's Entertainment, Part II

Self (archive footage)

The Making of a Legend: Gone with the Wind

Self (archive footage) (uncredited)

Glorious Technicolor

Self (archive footage)

Jornal Português (1938-1951)

Self (archive footage)

1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year

Sabina

The Skin of Our Teeth

Self (archive footage)

Vivien Leigh: Scarlett and Beyond

Self (archive footage)

Vivien Leigh, autant en emporte le vent

Self (archive footage) (uncredited)

The Extraordinary Seaman

Self ( Archive footage )

Laurence Olivier: a life

Self- film actress

Small world: Vivien Leigh

Amanda Prynne

Private lives

Mrs. de winter

Rebecca

Anna Petrovna

Ivanov

Hollywood Scandals and Tragedies

Blanche Du Bois/Self

Flashing Images of Vivien Leigh and Marlon Brando