Charmed Lives: A Family Romance
2028 · Movie
as Self (archive footage)
Vivien Leigh
1913-11-05
•
Darjeeling, Bengal Presidency, British India [now West Bengal, India]
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.
Filmography
Black Star
2022 · Movie
as Self (archive footage)
Vivien Leigh, autant en emporte le vent
2021 · Movie
as Self (archive footage)
Gone with the Wind – Makeup and Wardrobe Tests
2020 · Movie
as Self (archive footage)
Churchill and the Movie Mogul
2019 · Movie
as Self (archive footage)
Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood
2018 · Movie
as Self (archive footage)
The Vivien Leigh Archive at the V&A
2016 · Movie
as Self (archive footage)
The Greats: Vivien Leigh
2016 · Movie
as Self (Archive footage)
Jornal Português (1938-1951)
2015 · Movie
as Self (archive footage)
Leslie Howard: The Man Who Gave a Damn
2015 · Movie
as Self (archive footage)
Iconic Couples of Hollywood
2015 · TV Show
as Self (archive footage)
Before She Was Scarlet O'Hara: An Interview with Anne Edwards
2013 · Movie
as Self (archive footage)
1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year
2009 · Movie
as Self (archive footage)
Stardust: The Bette Davis Story
2006 · Movie
as Self (archive footage)
A Streetcar on Broadway
2006 · Movie
as Self (archive footage)
A Streetcar in Hollywood
2006 · Movie
as Self (archive footage)
Desire and Censorship
2006 · Movie
as Self (archive footage)
An Actor Named Brando
2006 · Movie
as Self (archive footage)
North and the Music of the South
2006 · Movie
as Self (archive footage)
Melanie Remembers: Reflections by Olivia de Havilland
2004 · Movie
as Herself (archive footage)
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The Prince, The Showgirl and Me
2004 · Movie
as Self (archive footage)
Restoring a Legend: Gone with the Wind
2004 · Movie
as Scarlett O'Hara in "Gone with the Wind" / Self (archive footage)
Larry & Vivien: The Oliviers in Love
2001 · Movie
as Self (archive footage)
Beyond Tara: The Extraordinary Life of Hattie McDaniel
2001 · Movie
as Self (archive footage)
Sir John Mills' Moving Memories
2000 · Movie
as Self (archive footage)
Vivien Leigh: A Delicate Balance
2000 · Movie
as Self (archive footage)
Glorious Technicolor
1998 · Movie
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
The Good, The Bad, and the Beautiful
1996 · Movie
as Self (archive footage)
No image
Legends in Light: The Photography of George Hurrell
1995 · Movie
as Self (archive footage)
The First 100 Years: A Celebration of American Movies
1995 · Movie
as Self (archive footage)
Elia Kazan: A Director's Journey
1995 · Movie
as Self (archive footage)
That's Entertainment! III
1994 · Movie
as (archive footage)
No image
Korda: I Don't Grow on Trees: Part One
1993 · Movie
as Self
Vivien Leigh: Scarlett and Beyond
1990 · Movie
as Self (archive footage)
The Making of a Legend: Gone with the Wind
1988 · Movie
as Self (archive footage)
Hollywood Scandals and Tragedies
1988 · Movie
as (archive footage) (uncredited)
No image
All-Time Movie Greats
1988 · Movie
as Self (archive footage)
Marilyn Monroe
1986 · Movie
as archive footage
That's Dancing!
1985 · Movie
as Self (archive footage)
Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage
1983 · Movie
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Laurence Olivier: A Life
1982 · Movie
as Self ( Archive footage )
That's Entertainment, Part II
1976 · Movie
as (archive footage)
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
1975 · Movie
as Self (archive footage)
Hollywood: The Dream Factory
1972 · Movie
as Self (archive footage)
The Extraordinary Seaman
1969 · Movie
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Ivanov
1966 · Movie
as Anna Petrovna
Ship of Fools
1965 · Movie
as Mary Treadwell
Tovarich
1963 · Movie
as Tatiana
Antony and Cleopatra
1962 · Movie
as Cleopatra
The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone
1961 · Movie
as Karen Stone
Hollywood: The Selznick Years
1961 · Movie
as Self - Scarlett O'Hara (archive footage) (uncredited)
The Skin of Our Teeth
1959 · Movie
as Sabina
Small World: Vivien Leigh
1958 · Movie
as Self
No image
Small World
1958 · TV Show
as Self
The Deep Blue Sea
1955 · Movie
as Hester Collyer
A Streetcar Named Desire
1951 · Movie
as Blanche DuBois
No image
The Screen Director
1951 · Movie
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Rebecca
1950 · Movie
as Mrs. de winter
Anna Karenina
1948 · Movie
as Anna Karenina
The Ed Sullivan Show
1948 · TV Show
as Self
Caesar and Cleopatra
1945 · Movie
as Cleopatra
That Hamilton Woman
1941 · Movie
as Emma, Lady Hamilton
Waterloo Bridge
1940 · Movie
as Myra
21 Days
1940 · Movie
as Wanda
Cavalcade of the Academy Awards
1940 · Movie
as Self
Hollywood: Style Center of the World
1940 · Movie
as Self
Private Lives
1940 · Movie
as Amanda Prynne
Gone with the Wind
1939 · Movie
as Scarlett O'Hara
British Pathé Newsreels: Gone with the Wind
1939 · Movie
as Self (archive footage)
St. Martin's Lane
1938 · Movie
as Liberty
A Yank at Oxford
1938 · Movie
as Elsa Craddock
Fire Over England
1937 · Movie
as Cynthia
Dark Journey
1937 · Movie
as Madeleine Goddard
Storm in a Teacup
1937 · Movie
as Victoria Gow
The Village Squire
1935 · Movie
as Rose Venables
Things Are Looking Up
1935 · Movie
as Unnamed Schoolgirl
Look Up and Laugh
1935 · Movie
as Marjorie Belfer
Gentlemen's Agreement
1935 · Movie
as Phil Stanley
