Vivien Leigh

Skuespiller

5. november 1913 — 7. juli 1967 (53 år)
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.

Filmer & Serier på Plex

  • Ship of Fools
    Ship of Fools1965
  • Caesar and Cleopatra
    Caesar and Cleopatra1945
  • Anna Karenina
    Anna Karenina1948
  • Sidewalks of London
    Sidewalks of London1938
  • Dark Journey
    Dark Journey1937
  • Storm in a Teacup
    Storm in a Teacup1937
  • Going Attractions: The Definitive Story of the Movie Palace
    Going Attractions: The Definitive Story of the Movie Palace2019
  • Truman & Tennessee: An Intimate Conversation
    Truman & Tennessee: An Intimate Conversation2021

Kjent for

  • Gone with the Wind
    Gone with the Wind1939
  • A Streetcar Named Desire
    A Streetcar Named Desire1951
  • Waterloo Bridge
    Waterloo Bridge1940
  • Ship of Fools
    Ship of Fools1965
  • That Hamilton Woman
    That Hamilton Woman1941
  • The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone
    The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone1961
  • Anna Karenina
    Anna Karenina1948
  • Caesar and Cleopatra
    Caesar and Cleopatra1945
  • Dark Journey
    Dark Journey1937
  • 21 Days Together
    21 Days Together1940
  • Storm in a Teacup
    Storm in a Teacup1937
  • Sidewalks of London
    Sidewalks of London1938
  • Fire Over England
    Fire Over England1937
  • A Yank at Oxford
    A Yank at Oxford1938
  • Look Up and Laugh
    Look Up and Laugh1935
  • Things Are Looking Up
    Things Are Looking Up1935
  • The Village Squire
    The Village Squire1935

Filmografi

2020
2019
Going Attractions: The Definitive Story of the Movie Palace · as Scarlett O'hara In Gone With The WindPå Plex
2019
Sunset Over Mulholland Drive · as Scarlett O'hara
2004
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)
1965
Ship of Fools · as Mary TreadwellPå Plex
1961
1955
The Deep Blue Sea · as Hester Collyer
1955
1951
A Streetcar Named Desire · as Blanche Dubois
1948
Anna Karenina · as Anna KareninaPå Plex
1945
Caesar and Cleopatra · as CleopatraPå 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 LibertyPå Plex
1938
A Yank at Oxford · as Elsa Craddock
1937
Storm in a Teacup · as Victoria GowPå Plex
1937
Dark Journey · as Madeleine GoddardPå 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 Unnamed Schoolgirl

2024
Faye · as Self - Actress: 'a Streetcar Named Desire'
2021
2021
Vivien Leigh - Gone with the Wind · as Self (archive Footage)
2020
Canaan Land · as Self
2019
Churchill and the Movie Mogul · as Self (archive Footage)
2017
Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood · as Self (archive Footage)På Plex
2016
Leslie Howard: The Man Who Gave a Damn · as Self (archive Footage)
2015
Iconic Couples · as Self (archive Footage)
2009
1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year · as Self (archive Footage)
2007
Classified X · as Self
2006
Stardust: The Bette Davis Story · as Self (archive Footage)
2001
Larry and Vivien: The Oliviers in Love · as Self (archive Footage)
1998
Glorious Technicolor · as Self (archive Footage) (uncredited)
1996
The Good, the Bad & the Beautiful · as Self (archive Footage)
1995
1995
1994
100 Years at the Movies · as Self (archive Footage)
1993
1990
Vivien Leigh: Scarlett and Beyond · as Self (archive Footage)
1990
1990
1989
1988
The Making of a Legend: Gone with the Wind · as Self (archive Footage)
1985
That's Dancing! · as Self (archive Footage)
1983
Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage · as Self (archive Footage) (uncredited)
1979
1975
Brother Can You Spare a Dime · as Self (archive Footage)
1972
Hollywood: The Dream Factory · as Self (archive Footage)
1969
The Extraordinary Seaman · as Self (archive Footage) (uncredited)
1969
Hollywood: The Selznick Years · as Self - Scarlett O'hara (archive Footage) (uncredited)
1957
The Jack Paar Tonight Show · as Self - Guest
1952
Today · as Self - Guest
1948