Vivien Leigh

Actor

5 de noviembre de 1913 — 7 de julio de 1967 (53 años)
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.

Películas y series en Plex

  • El barco de los locos
    El barco de los locos1965
  • César y Cleopatra
    César y Cleopatra1945
  • Anna Karenina
    Anna Karenina1948
  • Callejón sin salida
    Callejón sin salida1938
  • La mujer enigma
    La mujer enigma1937
  • Tormenta a la vista
    Tormenta a la vista1937
  • Going Attractions: The Definitive Story of the Movie Palace
    Going Attractions: The Definitive Story of the Movie Palace2019

Conocido por

  • Lo que el viento se llevó
    Lo que el viento se llevó1939
  • Un tranvía llamado deseo
    Un tranvía llamado deseo1951
  • El puente de Waterloo
    El puente de Waterloo1940
  • El barco de los locos
    El barco de los locos1965
  • Lady Hamilton
    Lady Hamilton1941
  • La primavera romana de la sra. Stone
    La primavera romana de la sra. Stone1961
  • Anna Karenina
    Anna Karenina1948
  • César y Cleopatra
    César y Cleopatra1945
  • La mujer enigma
    La mujer enigma1937
  • 21 días juntos
    21 días juntos1940
  • Tormenta a la vista
    Tormenta a la vista1937
  • Callejón sin salida
    Callejón sin salida1938
  • Inglaterra en llamas
    Inglaterra en llamas1937
  • Un yanqui en Oxford
    Un yanqui en Oxford1938
  • Look Up and Laugh
    Look Up and Laugh1935
  • Things Are Looking Up
    Things Are Looking Up1935
  • The Village Squire
    The Village Squire1935

Filmography

2020
2019
Going Attractions: The Definitive Story of the Movie Palace · as Scarlett O'hara In Gone With The WindEn Plex
2019
Sunset Over Mulholland Drive · as Scarlett O'hara
1999
1994
That's Entertainment! III · as (archive Footage)
1993
1986
Marilyn Monroe · as Archive Footage
1976
America at the Movies · as Blanche
1976
That's Entertainment, Part II · as (archive Footage)
1969
Hollywood: The Selznick Years · as Scarlett O'hara
1965
Ship of Fools · as Mary TreadwellEn Plex
1961
1955
The Deep Blue Sea · as Hester Collyer
1955
1951
A Streetcar Named Desire · as Blanche Dubois
1948
Anna Karenina · as Anna KareninaEn Plex
1945
Caesar and Cleopatra · as CleopatraEn Plex
1941
That Hamilton Woman · as Emma, Lady Hamilton
1940
Waterloo Bridge · as Myra
1940
21 Days Together · as Wanda
1939
Gone with the Wind · as Scarlett O'hara
1938
Sidewalks of London · as LibertyEn Plex
1938
A Yank at Oxford · as Elsa Craddock
1937
Storm in a Teacup · as Victoria GowEn Plex
1937
Dark Journey · as Madeleine GoddardEn Plex
1937
Fire Over England · as Cynthia
1935
The Village Squire · as Rose Venables
1935
Look Up and Laugh · as Marjorie Belfer
1935
Things Are Looking Up · as Schoolgirl