Known For
Acting
Born
Nov 05, 1913
Died
Jul 07, 1967
Place of Birth
Darjeeling, Bengal Presidency, British India [now West Bengal, India]
Credits
78 titles
Vivien Leigh
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.
Known For
Filmography
Charmed Lives: A Family Romance
Self (archive footage)
Black Star
Self (archive footage)
Vivien Leigh, autant en emporte le vent
Self (archive footage)
Gone with the Wind – Makeup and Wardrobe Tests
Self (archive footage)
Churchill and the Movie Mogul
Self (archive footage)
Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood
Self (archive footage)
The Vivien Leigh Archive at the V&A
Self (archive footage)
The Greats: Vivien Leigh
Self (Archive footage)
Jornal Português (1938-1951)
Self (archive footage)
Leslie Howard: The Man Who Gave a Damn
Self (archive footage)
Iconic Couples of Hollywood
Self (archive footage)
Before She Was Scarlet O'Hara: An Interview with Anne Edwards
Self (archive footage)
1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year
Self (archive footage)
Stardust: The Bette Davis Story
Self (archive footage)
Desire and Censorship
Self (archive footage)
A Streetcar in Hollywood
Self (archive footage)
An Actor Named Brando
Self (archive footage)
North and the Music of the South
Self (archive footage)
A Streetcar on Broadway
Self (archive footage)
Melanie Remembers: Reflections by Olivia de Havilland
Herself (archive footage)
Restoring a Legend: Gone with the Wind
Scarlett O'Hara in "Gone with the Wind" / Self (archive footage)
The Prince, The Showgirl and Me
Self (archive footage)
Larry & Vivien: The Oliviers in Love
Self (archive footage)
Beyond Tara: The Extraordinary Life of Hattie McDaniel
Self (archive footage)
Sir John Mills' Moving Memories
Self (archive footage)
Vivien Leigh: A Delicate Balance
Self (archive footage)
Glorious Technicolor
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
The Good, The Bad, and the Beautiful
Self (archive footage)
Elia Kazan: A Director's Journey
Self (archive footage)
The First 100 Years: A Celebration of American Movies
Self (archive footage)
Legends in Light: The Photography of George Hurrell
Self (archive footage)
That's Entertainment! III
(archive footage)
Korda: I Don't Grow on Trees: Part One
Self
Vivien Leigh: Scarlett and Beyond
Self (archive footage)
The Making of a Legend: Gone with the Wind
Self (archive footage)
Hollywood Scandals and Tragedies
(archive footage) (uncredited)
All-Time Movie Greats
Self (archive footage)
Marilyn Monroe
archive footage
That's Dancing!
Self (archive footage)
Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Laurence Olivier: A Life
Self ( Archive footage )
That's Entertainment, Part II
(archive footage)
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
Self (archive footage)
Hollywood: The Dream Factory
Self (archive footage)
The Extraordinary Seaman
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Ivanov
Anna Petrovna
Ship of Fools
Mary Treadwell
Tovarich
Tatiana
Antony and Cleopatra
Cleopatra
Hollywood: The Selznick Years
Self - Scarlett O'Hara (archive footage) (uncredited)