Lauded for her beauty and noteably remembered for performances as Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind, and Blanche Dubois in A Streetcar Named Desire. Vivien Leigh is undoubtedly one of the best Hollywood actresses of all time.
Vivien Leigh was born on November 5th 1913 in her parent's home in Darjeeling, India. As a child she enjoyed the elements of fantasy and drama and quickly became fond of authors such as Rudyard Kipling, Hans Christian Andersan, and Lewis Carroll. At the age of six she moved to England.
Educated in a British convent school, it was there that Vivien decided to become an actress.
Her first role in 1935 was in the British motion picture The Village Squire. That same year Vivien also appearered in the movie, Things are Looking Up.
In 1938, Vivien went to the US to see, Laurence Olivier, whom she was romantically involved with at the time. In the states Vivien was introduced to the Selznick brothers, who were filming, Gone with the Wind, based on Margaret Mitchell's novel.
The role of Scarlett O'Hara had yet to be cast and she was invited to take a chance and try out. Some big names had tried out for the part, such as Norma Shearer and Katherine Hepburn. Casting Vivien Leigh was a controversial move, as she was British and many fans of the novel felt the role should be played by an American. In addition, she didn't get along with her co-star, Clarke Gable. None the less, the film became one of the most celebrated in the annals of cinema. Not only did it win Best Picture during the Academy Awards, but Vivien Leigh won Best Actress.
In 1940, she married Laurence Olivier, and graced the silver screen in Waterloo Bridge. The following year she and her husband co-starred in That Hamilton Woman.
By the time of her role as Cleopatra, her life began to unravel. She had suffered two miscarriages, contracted tuberculosis, and was diagnosed with Bipolar. However, her performance was still flawless.
Her next signature role as Blanche DuBois won her a second Oscar in A Streetcar Named Desire opposite Marlon Brando.
But in 1960, her marriage fell apart, as Olivier left her. And she died at the age of 53 after a severe bout of tuberculosis on July 7, 1967.
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