Olivia de Havilland
Biography
Olivia de Havilland was a British, American, and French actress whose acting career lasted more than 50 years and included 49 feature films, with her major film work spanning 1935 to 1988. She first gained prominence opposite Errol Flynn in adventure films such as Captain Blood (1935) and The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938), and she played Melanie Hamilton in Gone with the Wind (1939), earning the first of five Academy Award nominations. In the 1940s she moved away from ingenue roles and won Academy Awards for Best Actress for To Each His Own (1946) and The Heiress (1949), with further nominations for Hold Back the Dawn (1941) and The Snake Pit (1948). She appeared on Broadway in Romeo and Juliet (1951), Candida (1952), and A Gift of Time (1962), and on television in Roots: The Next Generations (1979) and Anastasia: The Mystery of Anna (1986). She died in 2020.
104years old at death
- Born Tokyo
- Died 16th arrondissement of Paris
- Star sign: CancerThe sign runs June 21 to July 22
- Olivia Mary de Havilland (birth name)Also credited as Dame Olivia Mary de Havilland
Movie Career
- Films
- 33
- Career span
- 47 years1935 to 1982
Genres
First and latest
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A first
De Havilland was the first woman to serve as president of the jury at the Cannes Film Festival, doing so in 1965.
Big break
One week before the premiere, both Gloria Stuart, the lead actress, and the understudy Jean Rouverol left the project, so de Havilland, who was 18, took over as Hermia.
Getting ready for a role
De Havilland prepared for one of her hardest film roles by losing weight on purpose for a gaunt look on screen. She also met often with psychiatrists working on the film and went to Camarillo State Mental Hospital to study the patients.
Getting ready for a role
De Havilland used a different perfume for each of the story's four periods, a way to help her define her character.
Olivia de Havilland movies on Netflix
Murder Is Easyas Honoria Waynflete(Olivia De Havilland)
The Fifth Musketeeras Queen Mother
The Swarmas Maureen Schuester
Airport '77as Emily Livingston
The Extraordinary Seamanas Himself
Hush... Hush, Sweet Charlotteas Miriam
Lady in a Cageas Mrs. Cornelia Hilyard
Light in the Piazzaas Meg Johnson
Libelas Lady Margaret Anne Loddon
The Proud Rebelas Linnett Moore
Not as a Strangeras Kristina Hedvigson / Kristina Marsh
My Cousin Rachelas Rachel Ashley
The Heiressas Catherine Sloper
The Snake Pitas Virginia Cunningham
The Dark Mirroras Terry Collins / Ruth Collins
To Each His Ownas Miss Josephine 'Jody' Norris
Princess O'Rourkeas Princess Maria
Thank Your Lucky Starsas Olivia de Havilland
In This Our Lifeas Roy Timberlake
Hold Back the Dawnas Emmy Brown
The Strawberry Blondeas Amy Lind
They Died with Their Boots Onas Elizabeth Bacon
Santa Fe Trailas Kit Carson Holliday
Dodge Cityas Abbie Irving
Gone with the Windas Melanie Hamilton
Rafflesas Gwen
The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essexas Lady Penelope Gray
Four's a Crowdas Lorri Dillingwell
The Adventures of Robin Hoodas Maid Marian
It's Love I'm Afteras Marcia West
The Charge of the Light Brigadeas Elsa Campbell
A Midsummer Night's Dreamas Hermia
Captain Bloodas Arabella Bishop
Best known for
The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.
Most often with
Michael Curtiz directed eight of these films, Raoul Walsh three and Mitchell Leisen two. Errol Flynn appears in ten of them, more than any other actor. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.








Films together
Errol Flynn10 films together, 1935 to 1969
Errol Flynn's page The Extraordinary Seaman1969IMDb rating 3.5Havilland as HimselfFlynn as Himself
Thank Your Lucky Stars1943IMDb rating 6.7Havilland as Olivia de HavillandFlynn as Errol Flynn
They Died with Their Boots On1941IMDb rating 7.2Havilland as Elizabeth BaconFlynn as George Armstrong Custer
Santa Fe Trail1940IMDb rating 6.2Havilland as Kit Carson HollidayFlynn as Jeb Stuart
Dodge City1939IMDb rating 7.1Havilland as Abbie IrvingFlynn as Wade Hatton
The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex1939IMDb rating 7.0Havilland as Lady Penelope GrayFlynn as Earl of Essex
Four's a Crowd1938IMDb rating 6.3Havilland as Lorri DillingwellFlynn as Bob Lansford
The Adventures of Robin Hood1938IMDb rating 7.9Havilland as Maid MarianFlynn as Robin Hood
The Charge of the Light Brigade1936IMDb rating 7.0Havilland as Elsa CampbellFlynn as Maj. Geoffrey Vickers
Captain Blood1935IMDb rating 7.7Havilland as Arabella BishopFlynn as Peter Blood
Alan Hale6 films together, 1938 to 1943
Alan Hale's page Thank Your Lucky Stars1943IMDb rating 6.7Havilland as Olivia de HavillandHale as Alan Hale
The Strawberry Blonde1941IMDb rating 7.2Havilland as Amy LindHale as Old Man Grimes
Santa Fe Trail1940IMDb rating 6.2Havilland as Kit Carson HollidayHale as Tex Bell
Dodge City1939IMDb rating 7.1Havilland as Abbie IrvingHale as Rusty Hart
The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex1939IMDb rating 7.0Havilland as Lady Penelope GrayHale as Earl of Tyrone
The Adventures of Robin Hood1938IMDb rating 7.9Havilland as Maid MarianHale as Little John
Bette Davis5 films together, 1937 to 1964
Bette Davis's page Hush... Hush, Sweet Charlotte1964IMDb rating 7.5Havilland as MiriamDavis as Charlotte
Thank Your Lucky Stars1943IMDb rating 6.7Havilland as Olivia de HavillandDavis as Bette Davis
In This Our Life1942IMDb rating 7.3Havilland as Roy TimberlakeDavis as Stanley Timberlake Kingsmill
The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex1939IMDb rating 7.0Havilland as Lady Penelope GrayDavis as Queen Elizabeth
It's Love I'm After1937IMDb rating 7.3Havilland as Marcia WestDavis as Joyce Arden
Hattie McDaniel4 films together, 1939 to 1943
Hattie McDaniel's page Thank Your Lucky Stars1943IMDb rating 6.7Havilland as Olivia de HavillandMcDaniel as Gossip in 'Ice Cold Katy' Number
In This Our Life1942IMDb rating 7.3Havilland as Roy TimberlakeMcDaniel as Minerva Clay
They Died with Their Boots On1941IMDb rating 7.2Havilland as Elizabeth BaconMcDaniel as Callie
Gone with the Wind1939IMDb rating 8.2Havilland as Melanie HamiltonMcDaniel as Mammy - House Servant
Patric Knowles4 films together, 1936 to 1938
Patric Knowles's page Four's a Crowd1938IMDb rating 6.3Havilland as Lorri DillingwellKnowles as Patterson Buckley
The Adventures of Robin Hood1938IMDb rating 7.9Havilland as Maid MarianKnowles as Will Scarlett
It's Love I'm After1937IMDb rating 7.3Havilland as Marcia WestKnowles as Henry Grant, Jr.
The Charge of the Light Brigade1936IMDb rating 7.0Havilland as Elsa CampbellKnowles as Capt. Perry Vickers
David Niven3 films together, 1936 to 1969
David Niven's page The Extraordinary Seaman1969IMDb rating 3.5Havilland as HimselfNiven as Cmdr. John Finchhaven, RN
Raffles1939IMDb rating 6.4Havilland as GwenNiven as A.J. Raffles
The Charge of the Light Brigade1936IMDb rating 7.0Havilland as Elsa CampbellNiven as Capt. Randall
Michael CurtizDirector, 8 films, 1935 to 1958
All films by Michael Curtiz The Proud Rebel1958IMDb rating 6.9Havilland as Linnett Moore
Santa Fe Trail1940IMDb rating 6.2Havilland as Kit Carson Holliday
Dodge City1939IMDb rating 7.1Havilland as Abbie Irving
The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex1939IMDb rating 7.0Havilland as Lady Penelope Gray
Four's a Crowd1938IMDb rating 6.3Havilland as Lorri Dillingwell
The Adventures of Robin Hood1938IMDb rating 7.9Havilland as Maid Marian
The Charge of the Light Brigade1936IMDb rating 7.0Havilland as Elsa Campbell
Captain Blood1935IMDb rating 7.7Havilland as Arabella Bishop
Raoul WalshDirector, 3 films, 1941 to 1942
All films by Raoul Walsh In This Our Life1942IMDb rating 7.3Havilland as Roy Timberlake
The Strawberry Blonde1941IMDb rating 7.2Havilland as Amy Lind
They Died with Their Boots On1941IMDb rating 7.2Havilland as Elizabeth Bacon
Mitchell LeisenDirector, 2 films, 1941 to 1946
All films by Mitchell Leisen To Each His Own1946IMDb rating 7.6Havilland as Miss Josephine 'Jody' Norris
Hold Back the Dawn1941IMDb rating 7.3Havilland as Emmy Brown
Also three films together5 more actors
- John LitelThey Died with Their Boots On (1941), Santa Fe Trail (1940) and Dodge City (1939)
- Jack CarsonPrincess O'Rourke (1943), Thank Your Lucky Stars (1943) and The Strawberry Blonde (1941)
- E.E. CliveRaffles (1939), It's Love I'm After (1937) and The Charge of the Light Brigade (1936)
- Henry StephensonThe Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex (1939), The Charge of the Light Brigade (1936) and Captain Blood (1935)
- Hobart CavanaughSanta Fe Trail (1940), A Midsummer Night's Dream (1935) and Captain Blood (1935)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.
Box office
What Olivia de Havilland's films earned in cinemas worldwide.
Combined worldwide box office
$544 million
10 of the 33 films have a worldwide figure.
Of the 33 films: 10 worldwide figure; 2 us gross only; 1 never in cinemas; 20 figure not found.
- 10Worldwide figure
- 2US gross only
- 1Never in cinemas
- 20Figure not found
Highest grossing
The eight biggest films earned 99% of the total. The bars are drawn to scale.
- 1$402M73.9% of the total
- 2$91M16.7% of the total
- 3$25M4.6% of the total
- 4$7.7M1.4% of the total
- 5$4.0M0.7% of the total
- 6$4.0M0.7% of the total
- 7$3.6M0.7% of the total
- 8$2.7M0.5% of the total
Awards
Nine awards and honors from 1947 to 2017, four of them major.
| Year | Award | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academy Awards | |||
| 1950 | Best Actress | The Heiress | Won |
| 1947 | Best Actress | To Each His Own | Won |
| Golden Globes | |||
| 1950 | For best actress | The Heiress | Won |
| Venice Film Festival | |||
| 1949 | Volpi Cup for Best Actress | The Snake Pit | Won |
| Other honors | |||
| 2017 | Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire | Won | |
| 2010 | Knight of the Legion of Honour | Won | |
| 2008 | National Medal of Arts | Won | |
| 1998 | Honorary doctor of the University of Hertfordshire | Honorary | |
| 1960 | Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame | Honored | |
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.












