Vivien Leigh Biography

(British Actress Known for Her Roles in the Films: ‘Gone with the Wind’ and ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’)

Birthday: November 5, 1913 (Scorpio)

Born In: Darjeeling, India

Vivien Leigh, born as Vivian Mary Harley, was a British film and theatre actress, most famous for her Hollywood movies ‘Gone with the Wind’ and ‘A Street Car named Desire’. She won two Academy Best Actress Awards and two New York Film Critics Circle Awards for both the films. She was not just a movie actress but also a very good theatre performer and for her Musical Broadway, ‘Tovarich’, she earned a Tony Award. Leigh’s desire to become an actress started very young and her father supported her in her aspiration by enrolling her into an acting school in London. She did many British and Hollywood movies and was famous for various Shakespearean characters that she played on the stage–– ‘Cleopatra’, ‘Juliet’, ‘Ophelia’, etc. She was known to be the most beautiful actress of her time. Leigh had a troubled personal life as she suffered from manic depression and bi-polar disorder her entire adult life, which gravely affected her personal relationships.

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Quick Facts

British Celebrities Born In November

Also Known As: Vivian Mary Hartley, Lady Olivier

Died At Age: 53

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Herbert Leigh Holman (m. 1932–1940), Laurence Olivier (m. 1940–1960)

father: Ernest Hartley

mother: Gertrude Mary Frances Robinson (née Yackjee; 1888–1972)

children: Suzanne Farrington

Born Country: India

Actresses British Women

Died on: July 8, 1967

place of death: London, England

Notable Alumni: Convent Of The Sacred Heart

City: Darjeeling, India

Cause of Death: Tuberculosis

epitaphs: Now boast thee, death,, in thy possesion lies, A lass unparallel'd

More Facts

education: Royal Academy Of Dramatic Art, Convent Of The Sacred Heart

  • 1

    What was Vivien Leigh's most famous role?

    Vivien Leigh is best known for her iconic portrayal of Scarlett O'Hara in the classic film "Gone with the Wind."
  • 2

    Did Vivien Leigh win any Oscars for her performances?

    Yes, Vivien Leigh won two Academy Awards for Best Actress, one for "Gone with the Wind" and another for "A Streetcar Named Desire."
  • 3

    What was Vivien Leigh's nationality?

    Vivien Leigh was British, born in Darjeeling, India, but raised in England.
  • 4

    Did Vivien Leigh have any notable collaborations with other actors?

    Vivien Leigh had a successful collaboration with Laurence Olivier, her husband at the time, appearing in several stage productions and films together.
  • 5

    What impact did Vivien Leigh have on the world of acting?

    Vivien Leigh is widely regarded as one of the greatest actresses of her time, known for her beauty, talent, and versatility on stage and screen.
Childhood & Early Life

Vivien Leigh was born on November 5, 1913, in Darjeeling in the Bengal Presidency of British India to Earnest Hartley and Gertrude May Frances. Her father was a clerk in the brokerage offices of Piggott Chapman and Company in Bengal.

In 1917, Leigh’s father was transferred to Bangalore while she and her mother stayed in Ootacamund (Ooty). She performed for the first time on stage for her mother’s amateur theatre group and gave a performance on “Little Bo Peep”.

Leigh was sent back to England at the age of 6 and was made to attend Woldingham School in Roehampton. She went on a tour with her father to Europe and completed her schooling at different schools all around Europe.

In 1931, the family returned back to England and it was then that Leigh made a declaration of her desire to become an actress. Her father got her enrolled in the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London.
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Career
In her struggle to become an actress, Leigh hired an agent, John Gliddon, who introduced her to film maker Alexander Korda, but unfortunately he rejected her. In 1935, she was cast in a play called ‘Mask of Virtue’.
After attending the play, Korda accepted his misjudgment and signed a film contract with her. He moved her play to a larger theatre but Leigh failed to deliver her performance in bigger space and in front of larger audience.

In 1937, Leigh did, ‘Fire Over England’ opposite Laurence Olivier. It was based on a novel with same title and was directed by William K. Howard. This movie was the onset of the affair between Leigh and Olivier.

Around the same time, she was cast as ‘Ophelia’ opposite Olivier’s ‘Hamlet’ in Old Vic Theatre, which was staged in Denmark. By this time she and Olivier had started to live together.
In 1938, she grabbed American attention with her film, ‘A yank at Oxford’, in which she was cast along with Robert Taylor, Lionel Barrymore and Maureen O’Sullivan. She also did ‘St. Martin’s Lane’ in the same year.
In 1939, she was signed on for the role of ‘Scarlett O’Hara’ in George Cukor’s ‘Gone with the Wind’. She received the Best Actress Academy Award for it. The movie won 10 Academy Awards.
In 1940, Leigh was cast by Selznick for the lead role in the movie, ‘Waterloo Bridge’, starring opposite Robert Taylor. The movie was supposed to pair Leigh and Olivier but at the end moment Olivier was replaced by Taylor.
Leigh and Olivier invested their entire savings in the stage production of ‘Romeo and Juliet’, around the same time. The project proved a failure as the nature of their relationship was questioned by the media and their acting was also criticized.
The pair again appeared in the war based movie, ‘That Hamilton Woman’ in 1941. The movie was popularized in the States to gather pro-British war sentiments from Americans. It was a huge hit and Winston Churchill’s personal favorite.
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In the late 1940s, Leigh did movies like, ‘Caesar and Cleopatra (1945)’ and ‘Anna Karenina (1948)’; both the movies were a failure. But her Thorton Wilder’s play ‘The Skin of Our Teeth’ proved to be a success.
Leigh and Olivier went on a tour to Australia and New Zealand to raise money for the Old Vic Theatre in 1948. They performed plays like, ‘Richard III’ and ‘The School for Scandal’.
In 1949, Leigh was cast as ‘Blanche DuBois’ in the West End production of ‘A Street Car Named Desire’. She gave 326 performances and was later cast for the film version of the play and won her 2nd Academy Award.
The couple again performed together in two plays, ‘Antony and Cleopatra’ and ‘Caesar and Cleopatra’ in 1951 in London as well as in New York. The plays received positive reviews in both the cities.
In 1953, she was cast by Paramount Pictures in ‘Elephant Walk’ opposite Peter Finch. But due to her mental breakdown, she was replaced by actress Elizabeth Taylor.
In 1953, she recovered and performed in ‘The Sleeping Price’ with Olivier and in 1955, they again performed together at Stratford-upon-Avon in ‘Twelfth Night’, ‘Macbeth’ and ‘Titus Andronicus’. She also starred in ‘The Deep Blue Sea’.
During the 1960s, Leigh did a Musical Broadway, ‘Tovarich (1961)’ and received a Tony Award for Best Actress for it. She also did movies like, ‘The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone (1961)’, ‘Ship of Fools (1965)’.
Major Works
Leigh is remembered for her great portrayal of ‘Scarlett O’Hara’ in Selznick’s ‘Gone with the Wind’ in 1939. She won an Academy Award and a New York Film Critics Award for the role.
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Awards & Achievements
Leigh won two Academy Awards for Best Actress for ‘Gone with the Wind (1939)’ and ‘A Streetcar Named Desire (1949)’. She also won a BAFTA for the ‘Street’ and two New York Film Critics Circle Awards for both the movies.
Personal Life & Legacy

Leigh got married to Herbert Leigh Holman, a barrister, in 1932; he was thirteen years older to her. He was against her theatrical endeavors, which is why she left RADA in the middle. They had a daughter together, Suzanne.

She started an affair with Laurence Olivier in 1937. They could not get married as both their spouses refused to give them divorces, which is why they had to live together instead.

In 1940, after finally receiving divorces from their respective partners, Leigh and Olivier got married in Santa Barbara, California. But their marriage was also clouded with problems. They both got divorced in 1960, and she started an affair with actor Jack Merivale, who was very well aware of her mental condition. They never got married but stayed together until her death.

Leigh collapsed on the floor of her room on the night of July 7, 1967, and was found dead by Merivale. She was cremated at the Golders Green Crematorium and her ashes were scattered in a lake in Sussex.

Facts About Vivien Leigh

Vivien Leigh was known for her love of animals, particularly cats. She had a pet Siamese cat named New Boy who was her constant companion.

In addition to her acting talents, Vivien Leigh was also skilled in painting and enjoyed creating art in her spare time.
Vivien Leigh had a passion for gardening and spent many hours tending to her beautiful garden at her home in London.
She was a talented linguist and could speak several languages fluently, including French and Italian.
Vivien Leigh was a dedicated advocate for mental health awareness and worked to reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness during her lifetime.

Vivien Leigh Movies

1. Gone with the Wind (1939)

  (Romance, Drama, War, History)

2. A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)

  (Drama)

3. The Village Squire (1935)

  (Comedy)

4. Waterloo Bridge (1940)

  (War, Drama, Romance)

5. Ship of Fools (1965)

  (War, Drama, Romance)

6. That Hamilton Woman (1941)

  (History, Romance, War, Drama)

7. Things Are Looking Up (1935)

  (Comedy)

8. Look Up and Laugh (1935)

  (Musical, Comedy)

9. St. Martin's Lane (1938)

  (Comedy)

10. The Deep Blue Sea (1955)

  (Drama, Romance)

Awards

Academy Awards(Oscars)
1952 Best Actress in a Leading Role A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
1940 Best Actress in a Leading Role Gone with the Wind (1939)
BAFTA Awards
1953 Best British Actress A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)

See the events in life of Vivien Leigh in Chronological Order

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Article Title
- Vivien Leigh Biography
Author
- Editors, TheFamousPeople.com
Website
- TheFamousPeople.com
URL
https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/vivien-leigh-5195.php

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