Acting · Darjeeling, Bengal Presidency, British India [now West Bengal, India] · Born November 5, 1913
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.
Charmed Lives: A Family Romance
2028
as Self (archive footage)
MovieFlashing Images of Vivien Leigh and Marlon Brando
2023
as Blanche Du Bois/Self
Black Star
2022
as Self (archive footage)
MovieVivien Leigh, autant en emporte le vent
2021
as Self (archive footage)
MovieChurchill and the Movie Mogul
2019
as Self (archive footage)
MovieScotty and the Secret History of Hollywood
2018
as Self (archive footage)
MovieJornal Português (1938-1951)
2015
as Self (archive footage)
MovieLeslie Howard: The Man Who Gave a Damn
2015
as Self (archive footage)
TVIconic Couples of Hollywood
2015
as Self (archive footage)
Before She Was Scarlet O'Hara: An Interview with Anne Edwards
2013
as Self (archive footage)
Movie1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year
2009
as Self (archive footage)
MovieStardust: The Bette Davis Story
2006
as Self (archive footage)
MovieA Streetcar in Hollywood
2006
as Self (archive footage)
MovieCensorship and Desire
2006
as Self (archive footage)
MovieAn Actor Named Brando
2006
as Self (archive footage)
MovieNorth and the Music of the South
2006
as Self (archive footage)
MovieA Streetcar on Broadway
2006
as Self (archive footage)
MovieMelanie Remembers: Reflections by Olivia de Havilland
2004
as Herself (archive footage)
MovieRestoring a Legend: Gone with the Wind
2004
as Scarlett O'Hara in "Gone with the Wind" / Self (archive footage)
The Prince, The Showgirl and Me
2004
as Self (archive footage)
MovieLarry & Vivien: The Oliviers in Love
2001
as Self (archive footage)
Beyond Tara: The Extraordinary Life of Hattie McDaniel
2001
as Self (archive footage)
MovieSir John Mills' Moving Memories
2000
as Self (archive footage)
Vivien Leigh: A Delicate Balance
2000
as Self (archive footage)
MovieGlorious Technicolor
1998
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
MovieThe Good, The Bad, and the Beautiful
1996
as Self (archive footage)
MovieElia Kazan: A Director's Journey
1995
as Self (archive footage)
MovieThe First 100 Years: A Celebration of American Movies
1995
as Self (archive footage)
Legends in Light: The Photography of George Hurrell
1995
as Self (archive footage)
MovieThat's Entertainment! III
1994
as (archive footage)
Korda: I Don't Grow on Trees: Part One
1993
as Self
MovieVivien Leigh: Scarlett and Beyond
1990
as Self (archive footage)
MovieThe Making of a Legend: Gone with the Wind
1988
as Self (archive footage)
MovieHollywood Scandals and Tragedies
1988
as (archive footage) (uncredited)
All-Time Movie Greats
1988
as Self (archive footage)
MovieMarilyn Monroe
1986
as archive footage
MovieThat's Dancing!
1985
as Self (archive footage)
MovieHollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage
1983
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
MovieLaurence Olivier: a life
1982
as Self ( Archive footage )
MovieThat's Entertainment, Part II
1976
as (archive footage)
MovieBrother, Can You Spare a Dime?
1975
as Self (archive footage)
MovieGable: The King Remembered
1975
as Self (archive footage)
MovieHollywood: The Dream Factory
1972
as Self (archive footage)
MovieThe Extraordinary Seaman
1969
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
MovieIvanov
1966
as Anna Petrovna
MovieShip of Fools
1965
as Mary Treadwell
MovieTovarich
1963
as Tatiana
MovieAntony and Cleopatra
1962
as Cleopatra
MovieHollywood: The Selznick Years
1961
as Self - Scarlett O'Hara (archive footage) (uncredited)
MovieThe Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone
1961
as Karen Stone
MovieThe Skin of Our Teeth
1959
as Sabina
MovieSmall World: Vivien Leigh
1958
as Self- film actress
Small World
1958
as Self
MovieThe Deep Blue Sea
1955
as Hester Collyer
MovieA Streetcar Named Desire
1951
as Blanche DuBois
The Screen Director
1951
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
MovieRebecca
1950
as Mrs. de winter
TVThe Ed Sullivan Show
1948
as Self
MovieAnna Karenina
1948
as Anna Karenina
MovieCaesar and Cleopatra
1945
as Cleopatra
MovieThat Hamilton Woman
1941
as Emma, Lady Hamilton
MoviePrivate Lives
1940
as Amanda Prynne
MovieCavalcade of the Academy Awards
1940
as Self
MovieHollywood: Style Center of the World
1940
as Self
MovieWaterloo Bridge
1940
as Myra
Movie21 Days
1940
as Wanda
MovieGone with the Wind
1939
as Scarlett O'Hara
MovieSt. Martin's Lane
1938
as Liberty
MovieA Yank at Oxford
1938
as Elsa Craddock
MovieDark Journey
1937
as Madeleine Goddard
MovieFire Over England
1937
as Cynthia
MovieStorm in a Teacup
1937
as Victoria Gow
MovieGentlemen's Agreement
1935
as Phil Stanley
MovieLook Up and Laugh
1935
as Marjorie Belfer
MovieThings Are Looking Up
1935
as Unnamed Schoolgirl
MovieThe Village Squire
1935
as Rose Venables
